EDITORIAL
PAGE 6 JEWISH HERALD -VOICE AUGUST 18, 2016
Editorial Community must confront cause of too many untimely deaths
Distrust between Fatah, Hamas obstacle to statehood In Touch From Jerusalem
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
Depression is more than just a silent killer. It’s insidious. When a loved one loses his or her life to another illness, like cancer, there’s no parsing words or second-guessing what should, or should not, be said or written in an obituary. It’s expected, almost comforting in a way, to read the opening line of this type of death notice: After a long and brave battle against cancer, so-and-so died on suchand-such date in such-in-such place at some age. Clearly, our desire to eulogize the dearly departed as someone who was “brave” and fought long and hard against a deadly disease enables us, the living, to begin the process of mourning and, ultimately, to come to terms with our loss. In addition, by naming the cause of death – in this case, cancer – family and friends can be inspired to donate their time and resources toward finding a cure in memory of their loved one. The situation is strikingly different when a loved one loses his or her life to a mental illness, like depression. Especially, if one’s death is a suicide. The pain, the anger, the impossibility of the tragedy often is expressed, in words, through avoidance. Rarely does an obituary state, never mind begin with, acknowledgement of the role of a mental illness in a loved one’s untimely death. The pain, the anger, the impossibility is compounded by the pervasive stigma associated with mental illness and suicide. Over the past couple of years, our Jewish community has lost several young adults to depression and other mental health-related suicides. The situation could correctly be understood as an epidemic. And yet, it appears as though little is being done and even less is being said to address this problem. I am someone who has survived both cancer and depression up to this point in my life. On Aug. 30, I will be 39 years old. Should either of these diseases ultimately prevail, G-d forbid, I want my obituary to unequivocally state that I battled both. I fear that by remaining silent, our community will lose more up-andcoming young leaders, educators, artists, entrepreneurs, role models, spouses, exes, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, neighbors and best friends. We should be under no illusion that every depression-related death is preventable, just as every cancer-related death isn’t preventable. But, some, if not many, surely are. Our community can help save lives. Our first step is to start talking, openly and honestly, about deadly mental health diseases, such as depression.
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Corrections: In the Aug. 11 JHV, “The Development Of Modern Orthodoxy,” a reference was made to Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik delivering the first lecture to women studying Talmud at Beis Yaakov. Rabbi Soloveitchik delivered the shiur at Stern College. Also in the Aug. 11 JHV, “Therapy clinic works to help clients stay balanced in daily lives,” LSVT BIG (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment] was misidentified.
FELICE and MICHAEL FRIEDSON If asked to identify the primary obstacles to Palestinian statehood, many jump – in error – to a presumption that Israeli policies no doubt top the hit parade. But, after speaking with observers on both sides of the conflict, it’s safe to posit that, in reality, nothing can or will move forward to the point of sustainability until the Fatah and Hamas factions reconcile. The slogan “Two states for two people” is not supposed to refer solely to the Palestinian people. It’s revealing of the depth of distrust between the two groups that no less than six reconciliation agreements have been signed during the past several years. Despite the plethora of pacts and the efforts of the Middle East’s most prestigious personalities and powerful organizations, things are so quagmired that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly is turning to Arab Israelis, who are members of Israel’s parliament, to try their hand at brokering a deal. The idea surfaced on Saturday when Abbas hosted the Israeli lawmakers at his Ramallah compound. The situation has deteriorated against the backdrop of Hamas rejecting the legitimacy of Abbas’ right to the presidency, since his term in office expired several years ago; confounded further by a growing number of Abbas’ own constituents seeing him as too old to continue in office. But, uniting both sides is the fact that, regardless of your reason, the Palestinian people need to go to the polls and make at least some showing of the readiness of its infrastructure. Abbas used the occasion to chide Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his expressed willingness to meet the Palestinian leader “any time, any place.” He would, too, said Abbas, but only with the caveat that Netanyahu be prepared to “respect signed agreements.” The back-and-forth offers a firstrate show-and-tell into how politicians can offer two opposite thoughts in a single phrase. *** Upon hearing that a Palestinian doctor was fired because he came to the aid of an Israeli family ambushed by gunmen, Israel’s local administrative body in the area in which the attack occurred – the Hebron Regional Council – acted to return the gesture in kind. Two Palestinians, one of whom is a physician, had provided immediate help to the family of Rabbi Michael Mark, who was killed during the July attack. The pair extricated Rabbi Mark’s wife and children from the vehicle, assessed their wounds, and protected them from angry Palestinians driving by shouting at the help-givers because they were assisting Jews. During a tour of the area, Council head Yochai Damri and
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Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said they were appealing to the defense minister to expedite work permits inside of Israel for the Palestinians who came to the aid of the Mark survivors. Shaked promises to bring the matter to the United Nations, asking for its assistance in bringing pressure to bear on the Palestinian Authority for allowing the humanitarian act to be a reason for punishing the “heroes.” *** Keeping with Israeli policy – and now law – the Israel Defense Forces has demolished the home of the Palestinian terrorist who stabbed a 13-year old Israeli girl to death as she slept in her bed last June. The attacker who killed Hallel Yaffa Ariel, Mohammed Tra’ayra, was shot and killed at the scene by a security guard. But, it is pro-forma to destroy the family home of those who carry out violent attacks as a deterrent to others. The 13-year old was the youngest victim among those killed during the spate of violence that began at the start of October and has resulted in the deaths of more than 30 Israelis. Of some 200 Palestinians who also have died, most were killed while in the act of carrying out attacks. Hallel Ariel also held American citizenship. Prior to launching his deadly mission, Tra’ayra had been posting on Facebook laudatory expressions for the terrorist attacks undertaken by other Palestinians. *** Despite the strong interest in the Olympics here in the Middle East, it’s virtually impossible to find spectators who are surprised by any of the nationalistic shenanigans. Inside of Israel, word that the Lebanese team would not allow the Israeli team to board the same bus heading to the opening ceremony was met by cries of “What did you expect?” In the same vein, the Egyptian athlete’s refusal to shake hands with the Israeli who just won their judo match was pretty much accepted. One dedicated sportsman explained that the vanquished Egyptian would suffer enough embarrassment at home without having to explain his unwarranted sportsmanship as well. And, as for the Palestinians, all eyes remained focused on its team of six men and women (two runners; one equestrian with the unlikely ecumenical name “Christian Zimmermann”; one judoka and two swimmers), all of whom failed to advance. But, for Middle Easterners, it was far more likely that the water in the diving pool would turn green, than a new level of sportsmanship would be on display. *** Mideast Daily News. It’s in your inbox five days each week with a look at what’s happening in Israel, the Palestinian territories and the Middle East – “informative but not abusive” was how one loyal reader put it. Send you email address to editor@ themedialine.org and let us know you read “In Touch from Jerusalem.” Next week we’ll again be “In Touch from Jerusalem”… ©2016. The Media Line Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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Houston student takes on administration over anti-Israel incidents By AARON HOWARD | JHV
As the fall semester begins on U.S. college campuses, pro-Israel organizations forecast that this year will see new levels of pro-Palestinian student initiatives. These initiatives include everything from resolutions calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel; to intimidation and posting clearly anti-Semitic messages on social media. Some college campuses have become environments where Jewish students feel threatened, particularly if they identify themselves as being pro-Israel. What’s new is that anti-Israel student activities no longer are only an issue on college campuses. They’ve also become a problem at the
high school level. What’s also new is that Jewish high school students are refusing to be intimidated, even when high school administrators fail to address acts of bullying, vandalism and offensive conduct against Jewish students. In November 2015, anti-Israel students at HISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School covered over Israeli flags during an International Festival and posted a Twitter message calling for intifada. Eliav Terk, then a senior at Carnegie, refused to remain silent. Terk’s willingness to act, provide meticulous documentation and persistence in going above the high school administration when they refused to take action, provide a case study in
the effectiveness of student activism at the high school level. The Jewish Herald-Voice spoke with Terk by phone from Austin, Texas, where he is preparing to start school at The University of Texas.
Carnegie incident
On Nov. 1, 2015, a student at Carnegie posted at least two messages on social media. One post on Twitter was a cartoon reproduction of a character with horns and a Star of David lurking over a child. The Arabic caption called for intifada. Terk went to the school administration on Nov. 11 and spoke to Assistant Principal Juan Garner. See Anti-Israel on Page 2
Eliav Terk
Community-wide initiative to tackle ‘suicide epidemic’
Chai rollers
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
Tomer Dagan, Devorah Kirsch, Jessica Cherem and Ori Gross were among the crowd of Houstonians who enjoyed the tables at TORCH Young Professionals’ first-ever Casino Night on Aug. 27. The newly established TORCH Centre was decked out with blackjack, craps, roulette, and Texas Hold’em tables for an evening of gambling, food, drinks and fun. Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan, director of TORCH YP, fulfilled his vision of bringing local young professionals together to enjoy a celebration in TORCH’s new home in the community. At the end of the evening, the gambling came to a close and the chips were cashed out for tickets and prizes that were raffled off.
A network is being created to stem the tide of suicide among young adults in greater Houston’s Jewish community. As many as nine community members, all under the age of 36, have died by suicide over the past year-and-a-half, prompting concerns of an epidemic. Three such deaths occurred during this summer alone. They coincide with a larger national trend, in which suicide in the U.S. has surged to the highest levels in nearly 30 years, according to federal data. Among young adults under the age of 34, suicide has become a leading cause of death. In response, young adults, local leaders and mental health experts in Houston are formulating a community-wide initiative, aimed at supplying suicide-prevention training for people in the community, and providing support to survivors, including bereaved family members and friends. “This is too big a problem – we need to tackle it as an entire community,” said Linda Burger, CEO of Houston’s Jewish Family Service, who convened an emergency meeting on Aug. 25 to formulate a plan of action to deal with the crisis. “We need a community response to suicide and support of survivors,” Burger See Suicide on Page 4
Generations of pioneering, giving and caring are in Selber’s DNA By ALICE ADAMS | JHV
Sara Speer Selber is a household name, given the regular accolades she has earned over the years. So, it will come as no surprise to learn she will be receiving the Free To Be Award during the 2016 Writers In The Schools Nov. 20 gala. Selber, who has been a WITS parent, as well as collaborator and social justice advocate, spends each day making a meaningful difference for the people and places of Houston. Robin Reagler, Ph.D., and executive director of WITS, applauds Selber, not only for launching Camp Hope, in collaboration with WITS, making it the first camp for HIV-positive children in the South. That partnership was formed about 20 years ago when Selber was chief executive of the AIDS Foundation of Houston and needed pointers on journaling for her campers. “Sara passionately promotes poetry and Writers In The Schools,” Reagler said, “and is a fierce champion of performance poetry for Houston’s teen writers.” But, with yet another award for ongoing leadership
and commitment to improving the quality of life for all Houstonians, Selber, with deep humility, gives credit for her achievements to the past generations of her family. Easily traced, her U.S. roots reach back to 1872 when her great-uncle, Abrom Kaplan, landed in New York from his home in Most, Poland. He was 15, had virtually no money and had been abandoned by an acquaintance he thought would help him navigate this new country. As Johanna Kaplan wrote in “Abrom Kaplan’s Cajun Dream,” the boy wandered until he happened upon a rabbi and distiller who worked for his father back in Most. With this man’s help, Kaplan acquired a stock of trinkets and household items. He peddled them on the east end of the Brooklyn Bridge, then he traveled north and sold his wares along the back roads of Connecticut. “He soon heard about a ‘new Southwestern country,’ and by 18 he had relocated to Crowley, La., where with hard work, he became financially successful, able to assist people from his Polish home who wanted to See Caring on Page 4
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Sara Speer Selber
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Caring
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immigrate to the U.S.” Kaplan was successful in local commerce and purchased the Jim Todd Plantation in 1901. He developed land, established banks and opened rice mills in a number of towns, according to the book. He also helped people from Poland immigrate to the U.S., supported civic and religious institutions and became an ‘agricultural pioneer and a pillar of several communities, including the town eventually bearing his name.’ There still are a few Jewish families in this part of Cajun Country. Kaplan died in 1944. However, the Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital, founded in 1958, remains in operation today. Selber said she modeled her own life after all four of her grandparents, all of whom left Poland before the 1930s and, upon reaching the U.S., kissed the ground as soon as they disembarked. “I loved spending time in Kaplan as a kid,” she said, reminiscing about how she loved going to the drug store with her grandfather, because everybody knew each other. “When someone died, our house was where people gathered. You could say it’s been in our DNA to help and take care of others for several generations,” explained Selber (whose mother was a Kaplan descendant). In this small world, Selber’s grandmother, in her youth, was as close as a sister with WITS’ Reagler’s grandmother. “Robin and I are two generations removed from those women,” Selber said. “We call them ‘the angels who came before us.’ ” Selber spoke to the JHV about how she began reaching out and caring about others. ‘I was about in third grade when my father and Deborah Cohen’s father took Deborah and me, on a Sunday, to sing for the Seniors’ Club at the JCC. Deborah, to this day, remains incredibly engaged with the Houston community and, at that time, her father was the finest mind in the field of gerontology. “I remember all the smiles and, in hindsight, think the seniors were touched
Suicide
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told meeting participants. “My goal is to eradicate suicide in our community.” Hosted at the home of Gail and Norman Stalarow, the meeting was attended by local clergy and leaders from JFS, the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and Mental Health America of Greater Houston, as well as bereavement and loss counselors from the Red Bird Center. “Our kids are almost 19 and 21 – this epidemic scares us,” Gail Stalarow told the JHV at the start of the meeting. “An urgent response is needed.” Norman added, “We need to start finding a cure for this epidemic. There has to be a cause, and there has to be a cure.”
Education, support
Meeting participants agreed to form four subcommittees, dedicated to providing suicide-prevention education and support for survivors. The first subcommittee, headed by the Stalarows, is planning an urgent prevention program in conjunction with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The program tentatively is scheduled for Sept. 27. The group also plans to pursue a series of smaller parlor meetings over the coming weeks and months in community members’ homes. Another subcommittee is focused on providing suicide prevention education for students in middle school and high school, as well as for youth groups. A third subcommittee, meanwhile, will work on intensive training for educators and communal professionals in the field. The fourth subcommittee is planning a large program on Nov. 20, specifically for young professionals. This subcommittee is comprised of members of the Federation’s Jerome Robinson Family Young Adults Division, who, in partnership with JFS, organized a support group earlier this year in response to Houston’s suicide epidemic. The young adults program will hear from experts and will include a survivors’ panel discussion, along with breakout sessions, led by social workers, according to YAD director Lisa Stanton. “Our goal is to facilitate meaningful discussions about mental health and dig
JHV: MICHAEL C. DUKE
Sara Speer Selber enjoys painting once a week at Jewish Family Service’s Celebration Company.
by seeing young people giving their time to entertain them,” Selber said. “That first time, though, we sort of giggled because we hadn’t been around older people that much. But in time, we couldn’t wait to go to the J again. We looked forward to Sundays. I’m not sure if either of us was that good, but we loved doing it. “I also remember riding in the car with my parents to take food when someone was sick and, when someone came for treatment at MD Anderson, they often stayed in our home. My father came from a large family – he was the eighth child – and he had grown up with a mother and father who reached out to those in need. My Bubbie was always cooking and feeding the homeless and she seemed to be the designated cook and baker to take care of family, friends and neighbors.” But, Selber said the Aha! moment of her life came after the birth of her first son. “Our oldest was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy,” she began. “We were living in Midland [Texas], at the time. I remember sitting on our porch in West Texas and thinking, ‘I’m Jewish. I don’t know how to pray. We’ve always negotiated with G-d. So, in that space, feeling so helpless, I cut
a deal with G-d to serve others for the rest of my life if my son could just be OK. A few weeks later, we received a report from our last round of tests in Houston. It had been a false diagnosis.” Throughout her life, since that defining moment, Selber said causes find her. “In Midland, there were few Jewish families – just like in high school when I attended Hockaday School in Dallas. So, aside from volunteering with the larger congregation in neighboring Odessa – they had a synagogue and Rabbi Moshe Cahana, of blessed memory, and other circuit rabbis who held services periodically. It also was the situation which led me to join Midland’s Junior League, where I learned so much about organized volunteers and organization. “In Midland, if you were engaged with the community, you were accepted. There was no working your way through the ranks,’ she explained. ‘I hope I can give back one-tenth of what I learned while I was there. It was a remarkable start to my career, believing everything was possible and living with the mantra, ‘What’s the worst that could happen.’” Selber’s personal mantra today is
‘Are you thinking of killing yourself?’ Experts recommend proper training and the use of direct language to help someone suspected of contemplating suicide. “Ask the question: ‘Are you thinking of killing yourself?’ ” said Janet Pozmantier of Mental Health America of Greater Houston. “That one sentence has shown to be one of the most effective things you can say, if you’re lucky enough to be with the person and pick up signs and symptoms.” Experts also noted that someone who is talking about suicide is thinking about it. “It’s an ol’ wives’ tale that says: ‘If people talk about it, they’re not going to do it,’ ” said Margie Kosoy of Red Bird Center. “That’s actually not true. “People talk about it, because they are thinking about it. They may not have a plan, but it’s a thought that does exist,” she said. into what’s happening in our community,” Stanton said. “We need to create a safe space to talk about these things, look into what’s contributing to this uptick in trend and provide resources to help before it gets to this point.”
Removing stigma
Stanton and others at the Aug. 25 meeting stressed the need to adopt non-stigmatizing language to discuss suicide and mental health. “The language we use is so important, because of the effect it has on survivors,” Stanton observed. “We can’t use language that reinforces stigma and shames someone for feeling that desperate.” Rather than saying someone “committed suicide,” akin to saying that person committed a crime, it’s advised to say someone “died by suicide,” according to leading suicide prevention, awareness and support resources. According to Janet Pozmantier, director of The Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston, addressing stigma is the first step toward suicide prevention. “We can talk about awareness and education, but until we address stigma, nobody is going to be able to save a life,” Pozmantier said. Pozmantier touted a program, called “Mental Health First Aid,” that addresses the issue of stigma. The eight-hour course trains participants on how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance-use disorders.
“We need training to know what to do in mental health emergency situations, and also non-crisis situations, just like we do with regular first aid,” Pozmantier said. Gail Stalarow added, “Mental health needs to be treated with the same level of respect and seriousness as bodily health.” More than 660,000 people across the U.S. have been trained in Mental Health First Aid, to date, according to the National Council for Behavioral Health, which runs the program. In Houston, the young professionals subcommittee, and the subcommittee focused on training educators and communal professionals in the field, plan to hold recruitment drives for Houstonians to be trained in Mental Health First Aid.
Social media role
The role of social media in suicide also was discussed during the Aug. 25 meeting. Participants agreed that platforms, such as Facebook, can be both a blessing and a curse. “I’m concerned that social media is helping this epidemic spread,” said Norman Stalarow. “We immortalize a lot of this with beautiful fan pages on Facebook, where everybody writes on the wall and everybody talks about it for months and months. And, people see that, then create fun runs for them or golf tournaments and these great things and great ways to raise money,” he continued. “But, I fear that maybe this generation recognizes this as a way to be
“Moments matter.” “The people who know me best use #momentsmatter,” she said, “because each moment matters.” One of those moments occurred when she was in college. “I was held up by a man, hiding in my back seat with a gun in his hand,” she said. “That moment mattered.” Going against a popular notion, Selber isn’t sure the American people have lost so much of their humanity. “I think we live in information overload, but I also think we care,” she said. “For me, I appreciate all gestures and that all people come at things from angles different from mine, like my art teacher from Celebration Company. I go there every Wednesday. I pay for my lessons, and I learn because my teacher Gabby sees things without a filter. She also emails me daily: ‘Hello, Sara. How are you doing?’ “I believe all of us can make magic at every moment,” she added. “Like Writers in the Schools. The fourth-graders I work with gave me permission to be a writer again. “In real life, we may have abilities – but we also have the ability to be kind to others – and the more we do it, the better it feels, even though it is not always easy. But, I can hear my Bubbie’s voice today, saying as she was stirring soup, “If people aren’t nice to you, you be nice to them.” Selber said her joy comes from waking up healthy and spending time with people she loves. “Certainly, I have had an amazing career and professional life, centered on community initiatives that made a difference, and, if we could get back to what people were doing when my grandmothers were teaching me, we would be helping families and neighbors and not worrying about the blame game our political cycle brings.” Selber now recognizes her father’s great wisdom in taking her to sing for the aged at the J, and she has had the privilege of helping her grandparents, aunts, uncles and her dad, who is 88. “When I lost my mom, it was definitely a game-changer. Now, it’s my responsibility to keep our family together, to assure her legacy of caring for the family lives on.” immortalized. It’s something that will make them feel great, forever, at a time when they are feeling at their lowest point,” he said. “On the other hand, maybe we can use social media to beat social media,” he added. “It can be a way to get people good information and offer comfort. If so, we have to be proactive.” Meeting participants also discussed the positive role that local clergy can play in fostering discussions about mental health and suicide prevention. “I think we can use the upcoming High Holy Days to start some serious conversations and get people to sign up for Mental Health First Aid training,” said Rachel Davis, JFS’ chief development officer. “We can ask the question: ‘How can I have a happy New Year when my friend’s child died of suicide?’ ”
Nationwide epidemic
Houston isn’t the only community facing an epidemic of suicide in its young adult population. According to reporting by the Jewish Forward, there have been 28 recent young adult suicides in the Orthodox community, alone, in New York. “Even if there were only one in our community and we could have something in place to help that one person, it would be as though we saved an entire world,” said JFS’s Burger. “And, to that person’s family, it would be even more valuable. “If we begin to de-stigmatize mental illness and allow room for the identification, assessment, treatment and recovery of it like we do other illnesses, we would be in so much better of a place,” she said. Burger admitted that her goal of eradicating suicide in the local community is a lofty one. In researching the challenge, she learned that suicide prevention experts aim to reduce suicide by 20 percent each year. Yet, she remains committed to her original, larger goal. “If we counted the last five deaths by suicide in our community, if we were to only reduce that number by 20 percent, that would only mean one – which one would that be?” Burger said. “I think we need to have a broader vision and work together, as a community, to save as many lives as possible.”
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Suicide prevention begins with ‘Talk Saves Lives’ program By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
The first program in a new, communitywide initiative to stem the tide of suicide among young adults in Greater Houston’s Jewish community will focus on empowering individuals to become voices for suicide prevention. “Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention” will take place Tuesday, Sept. 27, at Emanu El synagogue, 1500 Sunset
Blvd., beginning at 7 p.m. The hour-long program, presented by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is free and open to the community. A kosher reception will follow. The program comes in response to a local epidemic of young adult suicides. Over the
past year-and-a-half, as many as nine Jewish Houstonians, all under the age of 36, have died by suicide. Three such deaths occurred during this past summer, alone. “The goal of this first program, in what will be an ongoing effort, is to bring the community together to provide support to anybody who needs it, including survivors, friends and family, and also to provide education on suicide prevention, so we can be proactive,” said Gail Stalarow, who,
Rolling in the dough
JHV: MICHAEL C. DUKE
Linda Burger, CEO of Jewish Family Service of Houston, and Katy Caldwell, CEO of Legacy Com mu n it y Hea lt h Ser v ices, have been named 2016 Women of Influence by the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Houston Section. These annual awards honor women who embody NCJW’s beliefs in courage, commitment and compassion and who put Linda Burger those beliefs into action. The awards will be presented on Friday morning, Sept. 23, at the Houston Racquet Club, 10709 Memorial Dr., followed by a catered luncheon. Reservations are required. For registration and more information, go to ncjwhouston.org or email specialevents@ ncjwhouston.org. A beloved and transformative leader of social services within and Katy Caldwell beyond Houston’s Jewish community, Linda Lait Burger is everything this award was designed to encourage. She indeed is a woman of courage, commitment and compassion. She grew up in El Paso, Texas, as part of a close extended family that encouraged her involvement in the See Influence on Page 2
New book gives voice to 40 years of women rabbis
Friendship Circle volunteers gain leadership experience while giving back By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
See Volunteers on Page 4
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Burger, Caldwell named Women of Influence
Eighth-graders Maya Ollagnon and Maddie Strug took part in Kehillah High’s school-wide challah bake during a kickoff event, Sept. 7, for the new school term. Now in its second year, Kehillah High is a multidenominational partnership that includes congregations Beth Israel, Beth Yeshurun and Brith Shalom. The school, spanning eighth to 12th grade, also is open to unaffiliated students and to those from synagogues without a formal teen educational program.
B’nai Mitzvah students were among the many teens who participated in a volunteer kickoff orientation for the Friendship Circle of Houston. The event on Sept. 11 included a presentation by local tae kwon do expert Nir Moriah, who represented Israel at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Moriah urged the teens to learn to be comfortable with themselves, in order to be confident with others. He said the teens stand to gain a great deal from volunteering their time to help others. Emery/Weiner School seventh-graders Lindsey Spector and Lauren Haas both chose to volunteer with Friendship Circle this year as a mitzvah project.
together with her husband, Norman, created the event in coordination with local clergy and Houston’s Jewish Family Service. “When we have a problem of this magnitude and severity, we have to solve it by everybody working together,” Stalarow told the JHV. More than two dozen local organizations and institutions, representing the full
By AARON HOWARD | JHV
Ashley Burdine, Rachel Tabin, Rachel Fielkow, Debbie Lederman and Jacob Dmitrovsky were among the teens who participated in a Friendship Circle volunteer kickoff program on Sept. 11.
It’s been four decades since Sally Priesand became America’s first female rabbi. At the time, Rabbi Priesand was the only woman at the Reform movement’s seminary, Hebrew Union College. She was ordained June 3, 1972. Although she was the first woman at HUC to receive ordination, she was the last person in her class to get a job.
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spectrum of Greater Houston’s Jewish community, have agreed to co-sponsor the “Talk Saves Lives” event. “Everybody is banding together to approach this challenge,” Stalarow said. “Every organization is holding hands to make a difference.” “Talk Saves Lives” is a community-based presentation that educates participants on the risk and warning signs of suicide, while empowering individuals to help prevent suicide deaths. Houston’s Jewish community is part of a national trend that has seen cases of suicide surge to their highest levels in nearly 30 years, according to federal data. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports that suicide has become the 10th leading cause of deaths in the U.S. Nine out of 10 people who die by suicide have a mental health condition that contributes to one’s death, according to data. Conversely, mental health treatment has proven to prevent suicide, AFSP reports. Last month, Jewish Family Service convened an emergency meeting to address the local community’s young adult suicide epidemic. From that meeting, a coalition was formed, aimed at preventing suicide and providing support to survivors, meaning family members and friends of someone who died by suicide. “Talk Saves Lives” is the coalition’s inaugural program. It was organized immediately after the emergency meeting. “So many people are distraught over what’s happening – and for good reason,”
Rabbis
PAGE 5 JEWISH HERALD -VOICE S EPTEMBER 15, 2016
Team pays tribute to teacher’s memory at ‘Mental Health Awareness’ walk Houstonians have created a 5K walk team – in memory of a beloved Jewish educator, who died this past summer – to participate in the 2016 Walk for Mental Health Awareness-Houston. The walk will take place Saturday, Oct. 8, beginning at 7:30 a.m., at Stude Park, 1031 Stude St., in The Heights. “Team Jessica” pays tribute to Jessica Danziger, of blessed memory, who died on Aug. 8, 2016, at the age of 35. Danziger dedicated her life to Jewish children, teaching at several local congregational schools, day schools and Jewish summer camps. Organizers are recruiting members for the team. “Please join us to pay tribute to Jessica’s memory, show our support for her family and help support mental health awareness,” said Stalarow, who is a parent of two young adults, herself. “It’s a very scary situation. “While this is an ongoing challenge that can’t be fixed overnight,” she added, “we felt the first program needed to happen fast.” Following “Talk Saves Lives,” a program specifically for young professionals will take place on Nov. 20. This event has been organized by leaders from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston’s Jerome Robinson Family Young Adult Division, who, in partnership with JFS, organized a support group earlier this year in response to Houston’s suicide epidemic.
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Rabbi Priesand’s ordination impacted Jewish religious life in many ways. As rabbinic role models, it’s no longer unusual to see a female rabbi on the bimah in a Reform synagogue. Women have brought new models of religious leadership to the Conservative movement and to parts of the Orthodox community, as well. Female rabbis have made innovative Rabbi Alysa Graf Rabbi Judith Abrams changes to Jewish rituals and “I’ve always felt incredibly grateful to life-cycle events, as well as in the evolution of siddurim and in the area of social action. [Rabbi Priesand] for breaking the glass All this and more is chronicled in “The ceiling,” said Rabbi Graf. “I’m grateful for all Sacred Calling: Four Decades of Women the women who came after her and showed In the Rabbinate.” Co-edited by Rabbi us what it looked like to be a rabbi, a parent, Alysa Mendelson Graf and Rabbi Rebecca and the necessity for work-life balance. Einstein Schorr, and published by the There’s been a change in leadership style Central Conference of American Rabbis attributed to women. Now, we have shared Press, this anthology brings more than 50 or co-rabbinates, part-time rabbis, people voices reflecting on the history and impact who stay in associated positions. “Growing up, I imagined my rabbi’s of women in the rabbinate. “There have been straight histories voice was the voice of G-d. With women about women in the rabbinate,” Rabbi Graf rabbis, the voices and styles have changed. told the JHV by phone from the Port Jewish Now, we’re seeing more rabbis, men and Center in Port Washington, N.Y., where women, coming off the bimah to embrace a she serves as rabbi. “For example, there’s different type of shared leadership model.” In the book, Rabbi Amy Schwartzman Pamela Nadell’s book, ‘Women Who Would Be Rabbis.’ In contrast, we wanted people writes about how Moses modeled a singleto hear the voices of women and men who leader system, a leadership in which one have been impacted by how women in the person at the head is in charge. He makes the important decisions, supervising and rabbinate have changed the Jewish world. “My colleague, Rene Edelman, controlling others. Rabbi Schwartzman [consulting editor] started the conversation suggests women rabbis tend to embrace about how women rabbis have shared a collaborative approach in their relationtheir stories. They are incredibly powerful ships. She calls this “distributive stories that enrich people’s understanding leadership,” modeled by the relationship of what it’s like to be a rabbi. From the between Deborah and Barak (Judges 4). Other women rabbis write about the beginning, we knew this couldn’t just be an difficulties in striking the right balance academic book.” As women began to enter the rabbinate, between work and family. For both female people had to start thinking about what it and male rabbis who welcome children into their lives, said Rabbi Graf, a congregation meant to be a rabbi. The book’s first essay, written by should find ways to support their rabbi’s Houston Rabbi Judy Abrams, of blessed goal of raising a family. “It’s really about an ideal world: How memory, is significant. Commenting about how the story of the learned woman should it be when somebody has a child Beruriah has been interpreted, Rabbi and they work,” asked Rabbi Graf. “Any Abrams wrote, “Women’s stories are partic- employer should ask: ‘What does a parent ularly vulnerable since, until recently, we with a new child need at this time?’ It’s were not the keepers of these stories. What thinking about how can I support this will happen to our stories … once we, who person. “If your rabbi has been walking around experienced these things, pass from the world. … We may be remembered as trail- pregnant and doing the work of a rabbi, that blazers who revived Jewish communal is exhausting. A congregation needs to give life or as harbingers of assimilation and the rabbi the time and space to bond with low birth rates. Or, we may be seen as their child. And, I think it is the same for competent professionals whose families parents who adopt. Adoptive parents may not need to recover from the physical, but suffered because of our work.” For example, in the book, Rabbi from the emotional. Support your rabbi in Priesand writes about how she made every way you can.” In the Reform rabbinate, despite the the ultimate decision not to get married because being the first woman rabbi, she fact women have been ordained for more than 40 years, there still is a difference in felt she had to be the best.
said “Team Jessica” co-organizer, Robin Alter. The theme of this year’s walk is “Step in the Lime Light,” aimed at removing the stigma surrounding mental illness and fostering public dialog. Over the past five years, the annual walk has raised more than $100,000 for Greater Houston nonprofit agencies that provide mental health services. “After my in-laws died in the Memorial Day flood last year, so many people surrounded my family with support,” Alter said. “That love and community spirit is what helped get us through the devastation. I know there were many people at my in-laws’ funeral who didn’t even know my in-laws. They just wanted to be there to offer comfort. And, it helped. “I have three children, who have been
part of Helfman Religious School, where Jessica taught, and I know she touched their lives,” Alter continued. “If I can give Jessica’s family any solace by just letting them know their daughter was loved and that people are here to support them, I’m grateful for the opportunity to do so. Hopefully, they’ll find some comfort in just knowing people care.” To join “Team Jessica,” register for the walk at https://secure.qgiv.com/ event/team/792505. Team organizers also have created “Team Jessica” T-shirts that can be ordered at customink.com/g/ exx0-00aq-uprk. In addition, team organizers are collecting stories and messages about Danziger that will be presented to her parents at the walk. Email items to
[email protected].
The coalition also is looking to create future programs whose focus will be on providing suicide prevention education for middle school, high school and youth group students, as well as intensive training for educators and communal professionals in the field, according to JFS leaders. In planning the coalition’s inaugural program, Stalarow said she’s received an outpouring of responses, including from people who have begun to tell their own personal stories for the first time. She said she hopes the “Talk Saves Lives” program will encourage more people in the community to
start talking. “For the take-away from this program, I want people to know that help of any kind is available, whether someone is having suicidal thoughts or they are a survivor,” Stalarow said. “I want people to feel supported on every level.” To RSVP for “Talk Saves Lives,” email JFS’ Tammi Altshuler at taltshuler@ jfshouston.org or call 713-667-9336. Volunteers are needed to help run the event. Donations also are being accepted to cover the cost of a kosher reception. Contact Altshuler for more information.
salaries between male and female rabbis. In June 2012, the CCAR released its “Study of Rabbinic Compensation by Gender,” documenting a quantifiable gender pay gap, a difference that increased particularly as congregational size increased. “We’re still in a transition period,” said Rabbi Graf. “We’re on a good path, but we still have a long way to go. Sometimes, people just feel more comfortable with what
they know. Over time, as rabbinic styles evolve and we step away from the voice of G-d model, the way people imagine rabbis will change. And, as young people with women rabbis grow up, things will change. “A lot has led to where we are today. We still have changes to be made. Men and women need to be part of the process, if we’re going to create a strong and vibrant Jewish world.”
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Compassion reigns in the midst of war’s violence By AARON HOWARD | JHV
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Houston shooter wearing Nazi uniform injures 9 before being shot dead
At the 2016 Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Fair, Nov. 13
War is essentially about inflicting damage and destruction. Medicine is essentially about healing and treating injury. For Houstonian Sam Axelrad, M.D., who served as the commanding officer in the 1st Air Cavalry’s Forward Medical Company in Vietnam in 1966-’67, the war was more about healing and the celebration of small victories, as told in the stories of the ordinary people and soldiers who were there on the ground. Axelrad’s stories, related in his memoir, “Peaceful Bones,” are about human beings doing their
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Nguyen Quang Hung was given the bones from his amputated arm, decades later, from Sam Axelrad, M.D.
(JTA) – The shooter who injured nine people during an attack on commuters in a Houston neighborhood was wearing a military uniform with Nazi insignia. The man, whose name has not been released by police, was carrying two guns and 2,500 rounds of live ammunition when he was shot and killed by police Monday morning, Sept. 26. One of the injured is in critical condition and another in serious condition, according to reports. See Shooter on Page 7
Choir builds community, heightens prayer for HHDs How Meyerland
became the center of Jewish Houston By AARON HOWARD | JHV
The story of Meyerland is a story about race, religion and real estate in the post-World War II United States, Dr. Joshua Furman told a large audience on Sept. 25 at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. His illustrated lecture, “Suburban Pioneers: The Jewish Family Moves to Meyerland,” closed the eighth-annual Rice University Jewish Studies Lecture Series. Meyerland is a pivotal chapter in Houston Jewish history during the years when the Houston Jewish community came of age, said Furman. At the end of World War II, there were only about See Meyerland on Page 7
Shana Tova from the Jewish Herald-Voice We hope you are enjoying our holiday magazine, mailed Sept. 22. 1908
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JHV: MICHAEL C. DUKE
October 3, 2016 • 1 Tishri 5777 Volume CIX • Number 26 $5.00
Choir director Adam Hightower has led rehearsals twice a week for Brith Shalom’s all-volunteer choir, in preparation of the High Holy Days. Cantor David Krohn begins each rehearsal by teaching the meaning behind each prayer song that the choir will perform.
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
Members of Congregation Brith Shalom proudly assert that their synagogue is home to the oldest, all-volunteer choir in the whole of the Conservative movement. While it’s difficult to verify that claim, the fact that it’s so often repeated
by congregants says a great deal about the pride they take in maintaining such a group, which, in turn, they believe bolsters Brith Shalom’s reputation as a hamish (“warm and welcoming”) community. “The choir is the most hamish group within the most hamish congregation,” said Brith Shalom’s Cantor David Krohn,
under whose leadership, along with choir director, Adam Hightower, has seen the group double in size over the past two years and begin to take its performances on the road. “The choir is the heart within the heart, and that quality comes out in the See Choir on Page 6
Riding ‘round for ovarian cancer cure
Initiative to provide suicide prevention tools to schools, teen programs
By KATHY ZIEBEN | For the JHV
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
Cyclists of all skill levels put their pedal to the metal for Wheel to Survive on Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. Wheel to Survive, an uplifting, inspirational indoor event, is the signature fundraising program of Be the Difference Foundation. Helen Gardner, fighting for her own life from ovarian cancer, partnered with two other survivors and gave Dallas its first-ever indoor cycling event in 2012. Energized by the outpouring of support from riders, donors, survivors and
A committee dedicated to developing suicide prevention programs for local teens held its first meeting. Part of a wider suicide prevention initiative, undertaken by Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and other community partners, including Mental Health America of Greater Houston, the committee met on Sept. 20 to plan education and early intervention programs to help stem the tide of young adult suicide that has hit Houston’s Jewish community.
See Cure on Page 4
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Jill Levy and daughter Kim Pokroy took part in Wheel to Survive.
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Cure
represented by her husband, Nat Levy, and extended family, 17 all total. Her grandchildren made a poster that was placed at the head of her team of cyclists.
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others, Gardner and three other survivors, founded Be the Difference. Although Gardner lost her battle with the disease in 2014, her legacy remains and her husband, Gary Gardner, still is involved with Wheel to Survive events. The first-ever Houston event was co-chaired by Tami Sheena and Tracy Blumrosen. A total of 159 cyclists participated, raising more than $77,000. “Helen Gardner’s husband, Gary, who is a friend of my brother, contacted me back in November of 2015 about chairing this event, Sheena told the JHV. “I told him I would be honored to help out. I contacted Tracy about co-chairing with me and the ball started rolling.” Sheena said she was motivated by her 21-year-old daughter, who attends The University of Texas. “I want her to be aware of the symptoms of the disease,” Sheena said. “It’s an opportunity to raise awareness of ovarian cancer in the whole community. This was Helen’s hope, that even when she was dealing with stage 4 cancer, she started this event to help others, that maybe one day there will be a cure.” Blumrosen lost her sister, Lauren “Lolly” Kugler, to ovarian cancer. “Of course, I wanted her to live past her 36 years,” Blumrosen told the JHV. “She was in such good shape throughout her struggle and always cared so much about how she looked when going out in public. Even though she had to wear a wig from hair loss, no one could tell. This day is very personal for me. If I can make a difference in someone’s life by raising awareness of this terrible disease, then today was totally worthwhile.” A total of 36 bicycles were in use for the event. Blumrosen noted the number is “double chai” in Hebrew. Wheel to Survive also drew the best spin instructors from across Houston, allowing a different spin instructor for each of the six hours. Most cyclists chose to ride on a team, choosing a captain from among their friends. Teams ranged in size from two or more members and were highly spirited, cheering for one another. Members also decorated their bikes with balloons, adding to the enthusiasm. In addition to cyclists, there were vendors who donated a portion of their proceeds from sales to Wheel to Survive. Linda Lang chaired the vendor booths.
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As many as nine Jewish Houstonians, all under the age of 36, have died by suicide over the past year-and-a-half. Three such deaths occurred during this summer, alone, prompting concerns of an epidemic. Across the U.S., suicide deaths have reached a 30-year high, according to federal data. Leaders from the Federation, JFS, mental health experts and local Jewish day schools and synagogues participated in the school committee’s initial planning meeting. “In order to prevent more deaths by
Ovarian cancer in Ashkenazi Jews
FOR THE JHV: KATHY ZIEBEN
Among numerous members of Jill Levy’s family who cycled for Team Jill are David Levy (son), Ted Levy (grandson), Jerome Pokroy (son-in-law) and Zak Pokroy (grandson).
Members of the Jewish community who trace their roots to Central or Eastern Europe, Ashkenazi Jews, have a greater frequency of carrying genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are associated with an increased risk of cancer. One out of every 40 Jewish people carries the mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Those of Jewish heritage, or who have a relative who has been diagnosed with breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer, should consult with their doctor. Genetic counseling is a way to understand the nature of the disease, severity, prognosis and whether or not there is an effective therapy. A test also might provide relief from anxiety, if the result is negative. As scientists and researchers continue to pursue reliable screening methods for the early detection of ovarian cancer, it is imperative that all women understand their risk level for ovarian cancer and the signs and symptoms. According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer may include the following most-common symptoms: bloating; pelvic or abdominal pain; trouble eating or feeling full quickly; urinary symptoms, such as urgency (always feeling like you have to go) or frequency (having to go often). As many as 22,000 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer this year. More than 14,000 will die from the disease. Be the Difference, with its Wheel to Survive program, hopes to change these statistics for mothers, daughters, sisters and girlfriends.
Among those participating were Jewish Family Service, selling Millie Dean honey cake packages, which also benefited JFS’ Celebration Company, a social entrepreneurial program for adults with disabilities. Door prizes came from donors and local businesses. Jill Levy, an eight-year cancer survivor, shared her story with the JHV: Levy was diagnosed in 2008, at the age of 65. At first, the cancer went undetected. Her doctor approved a planned trip to Israel. When she returned four months later, she felt the need to follow up with her doctor. Levy had no symptoms other than feeling an egg-sized lump on her side, which she had been watching. When she went to the doctor, he sent her for a scan on a Friday, and she was diagnosed the following Monday with ovarian cancer. That’s when they discovered a 10-pound mass growing inside. “The “C” word scared me so much,” said Levy, now 73. “You think this is it! Lucky for me, I saw a doctor who specialized in pelvic oncology. I’ve been dealing with this for eight years now, constantly seeing my doctors to make sure we are doing what I need for treatment. I pray for my cancer
to stabilize with the course of drugs that I am taking.” “Team Jill” was abundantly
For many women, hair loss is one of the most-dreaded side effects of chemotherapy. In addition to financial contributions, Be the Difference Foundation accepts handmade and store-bought head scarves through a Love My Scarf campaign. Scarves will be donated to cancer treatment centers for women undergoing treatment. For more information, go to bethedifference foundation.org. Scarves may be sent to Be the Difference Foundation, 2517 Manana Dr., Dallas, TX 75220.
suicide in our young adult population, intervention needs to begin a lot sooner,” said Linda Burger, CEO of JFS Houston. “We also have to address the issue of stigma, in order to have an effective response to this epidemic.” The committee framed suicide prevention in the context of mental health. An immediate need was identified to reach out to high school students who personally were affected by recent suicide deaths. The greater high school teen population also was identified as a priority. This group includes students at local Jewish day schools and congregational schools, as well as youth groups and camps.
“We need to identify what type of programming is appropriate to do with our teens, along with how and when,” said the Federation’s Lisa Klein, who convened the meeting. The committee agreed that in order for efforts to succeed, there must be buy-in from principals, directors, counselors, teachers and parents. Students, themselves, will need to be prepared in order to participate in programming and training. Following the meeting, the committee began outreach efforts to local schools. In terms of training for teens and educators, the committee is considering
different options that seek to empower participants to identify early warning signs, to communicate effectively with someone considering suicide and to encourage appropriate professional help and other support strategies. The school committee scheduled its next meeting for Nov. 1. Other committees working on the suicide-prevention initiative are organizing training and education programs specifically for young adults and for community members at large. “This isn’t just a marathon, we’ll be working on this problem for years,” said Burger. “We’re pulling the community together to save lives.”
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Wheel to Survive Houston co-chairs are Tami Sheena and Tracy Blumrosen.
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Saying goodbye to Peres, world leaders talk peace and love
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The JCC’s annual Book Fair dishes out food for thought during opening night
By ANDREW TOBIN | JTA
JERUSALEM – Israeli and world leaders gathered atop Mount Herzl on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, to say goodbye to Shimon Peres, Israel’s last founding father. In addition to fond personal recollections, many of those who took the stage alongside Peres’ Israeli-flag-draped coffin, offered their visions of the peace that eluded the former president and prime minister. Peres died early Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the age of 93, after being hospitalized for a major stroke.
LIOR MIZRAHI/GETTY IMAGES
Shimon Peres speaking during an interview at the president’s residence in Jerusalem, April 10, 2013.
You don’t have to be Jewish to have heard about gefilte fish. The JEWISH BOOK & ARTS FAIR, stuffed fish delicacy is one of the Opening Night subjects of two new books and is Saturday, Oct. 29, making its way to the top of the 8 p.m., at ERJCC food chain during the opening of the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Fair, Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m., at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. The books give Jewish food of Yiddish (East European) descent a makeover with new recipes. There are not many places in Houston that serve gefilte fish, but it’s on the menu and made fresh daily at Kenny &
Students value peer-to-peer learning at HHD Fair
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Suicide-prevention program attacks stigma, encourages conversations By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
reading stories; stuffing bread sachets for Tashlich; dissolving one’s sins in water; playing a song-and-dance game, focused on apologizing for wrongdoings; learning about the different levels of tzedakah; and making honey jars for apple dipping. One of the most popular activities involved taking students, one-by-one, into
The first program in a new communitywide initiative empowered participants to use observational skills and direct communication to help save lives threatened by suicide. “Talk Saves Lives,” held at Emanu El synagogue on Sept. 27, brought together the full spectrum of Greater Houston’s Jewish community – Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Chabad, secular and the unaffiliated – to begin efforts to stem the tide of suicide among young adults. Over the past year-and-a-half, nine Jewish Houstonians, all under the age of 36, have died by suicide, prompting concerns of an epidemic. Three such deaths occurred during this past summer, alone. “I want people to recognize that they, as individuals, really can do something to help prevent suicide,” said M. Brenda Fitch, education chair of the South Texas chapter of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, who led the “Talk Saves Lives” program and is, herself, a survivor. The 45-minute AFSP presentation introduced statistics and research related to suicide in the U.S., which is at a 30-year high, as well as suicide prevention and lifesaving strategies. “If we’re going to try to help someone, the worst thing to do is to not talk about, or dance around the subject of, suicide,” Fitch told the JHV. “You could be the first person they are willing to talk to about their pain and thoughts of suicide. You have to listen in an empathetic and caring way.
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Sara Rozen helped Caddy Smith find her name in the Book of Life at Beth Yeshurun Day School’s High Holy Days Fair on Sept. 30.
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
Local day school students celebrated the Jewish New Year by teaching each other, peer-to-peer, Jewish values and holiday rituals associated with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Fourth- and fifth-graders at Beth Yeshurun Day School hosted the school’s first-ever “High Holy Days Fair” on Friday,
Sept. 30, for younger students in BYDS’ elementary and early childhood programs. Fifth-graders toured the pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade students, while fourth-graders helped guide second- and third-graders. BYDS’ older students helped create and run a series of activity stations that included decorating make-and-take holiday goodie bags and greeting cards; candle-making;
Tribute concert to Justin Schnurr-Cohen set for Oct. 16 By AARON HOWARD | JHV
Justin Schnurr-Cohen
“Justin’s Last Jam,” a musical tribute to Justin Howard Schnurr-Cohen and the huge influence he had on many individuals, will take place at The Last Concert Café, 1403 Nance St., Oct. 16, beginning at 3 p.m. The musical lineup includes Danny Hutchens, Gravel Tooth, Heartbyrne, Panic Stricken, Brady Brown, Daniel Eaton and Jimmy Marks. Schnurr-Cohen, 35, born in Houston on March 17, 1981, died suddenly on July 13. When one reads “died suddenly” in a
newspaper obituary, that’s often a euphemism for death by suicide. Euphemisms are used to cover what might be embarrassing or horrible truths. One truth about suicide: Those left behind are left to carry the weight of sadness, loss, unreality and an overwhelming, unanswered sense of “why.” Why did this person, who did so much for others feel that death was the only way to make his pain stop? Another truth: Suicide often tends to dim the sum of a person’s life. The act also gives some people permission to hurl accusations and recriminations.
To understand Schnurr-Cohen’s life is to understand his passion for music. “Justin was someone who tried to encourage others to pursue their dreams,” said Daniel Hutchens, singer and guitarist with the band Bloodkin. Hutchens met the artist in 2005. “Justin was instrumental in setting up a series of house parties in Houston. We struck up a friendship and maintained it over the years. He encouraged musicians to get their musical projects off the ground. He helped finance my
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Suicide prevention resources
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“If you’re able to recognize the warning signs, intervention is possible and you can get them the help they need,” she said.
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Mental health
Mental health treatment prevents suicide, Fitch told her audience during the program. “We absolutely need a culture where everyone knows how to be smart about mental health,” she said. Gail and Norman Stalarow co-chaired the “Talk Saves Lives” program, in partnership with Jewish Family Service, which is coordinating the local initiative to eradicate suicide deaths in the Greater Houston Jewish community. The initiative’s first program enjoyed co-sponsorship and support from more than 40 communal organizations and institutions. “We want people to begin to think about mental health the way we think of cancer or heart disease,” said Norman Stalarow at the program’s start. “People need to rally around those with mental illness the way we rally around those with cancer or heart disease. “We need to talk about it, help one another and recognize the need for help,” he said.
Houston Crisis Hotline 713-970-7000 Crisis Intervention 832-416-1177 Teen Talk 832-416-1199 (voice call) 281-201-4430 (text message) Youth Crisis Hotline 800-448-4663 PHOTOS BY JHV: MICHAEL C. DUKE
Volunteer Rebecca Weiner, center, encourages community members at the “Talk Saves Lives” program to sign up for additional suicide-prevention training.
conversations in private and to ask direct, but non-accusatory, questions, such as: Are you thinking about suicide? She advised to avoid minimizing that person’s feelings and, similarly, to avoid trying to fix that person’s problems. “They need to know that they can find their own way [to fix one’s problems] and they’re going to be supported, whether it flips or flops, you’re going to be there for them,” Fitch said. She added, “If you think that person you’re talking to might make an attempt soon, based on what you hear from the conversation … it’s your duty to make sure that person is not left alone. Stay with them … and put them in the hands of someone who can provide ongoing, professional help.”
‘Break stigma’
Rebecca Weiner volunteered to help staff the program and encouraged community members to sign up for additional suicide-prevention training. Like many of the young adults at the program, Weiner said she’s lost friends to the current suicide epidemic. “It broke my heart and opened my eyes,” Weiner told the JHV, referring to the suicide death this summer of one of her friends. “We have the responsibility to open dialogue about this issue, to break stigma, to save lives and to honor memories.” Stigma about mental illness was a concern addressed by Emanu El’s Rabbi Samantha Kahn, who has taken a lead in the suicide-prevention initiative. The rabbi, herself a young adult, is calling for a “normalization” of discourse about mental illness and its treatments. “We’ve seen too many tragic losses in our community, and the truth is, I think it’s the implied stigma and the shame associated with mental illness that contribute greatly to a loss,” Rabbi Kahn told the JHV. “If people felt more comfortable to come forward and talk about it and get the help they need, that’s what can make the difference between someone having depression and someone taking their own life.” Speaking to community members at the program, Rabbi Kahn said complete healing can only exist when there is both healing of the mind and healing of the spirit. “It’s our community’s responsibility to help everyone understand and communicate that it is not shameful to have poor mental health,” she said. “It is not shameful to see a therapist or a psychiatrist. And, it is not shameful to take medication for mental illness. “Such acts require bravery – they should be applauded,” Rabbi Kahn said. “Seeking help should be something we congratulate one another on, not hide from one another.” Lisa Stone is a local Jewish educator who participated in the “Talk Saves Lives” program. She said the program was a good start to the conversation and believes the next step should be action. “Every Jewish school should provide suicide-prevention education for its students at the proper, age-appropriate level,” Stone said after the program. “Also, every synagogue congregation could offer suicide-prevention training for adults. “As we learned tonight, the more people recognize the symptoms, it’s going to save lives,” Stone said. The suicide-prevention initiative has formed various subcommittees to create targeted programs for different segments of the community, including students, teachers and young adults. Anna Blum is another local Jewish educator who agreed that suicideprevention education must be made widely available. What impressed the 24-year-old most about the “Talk Saves Lives” program was its diverse turnout of nearly 200 people. “The fact that so many members of the community, from so many different
Nearly 200 people, representing the entire religious spectrum of Greater Houston’s Jewish community, participated in the first program of a new, community-wide initiative, aimed at curtailing an epidemic of suicide among local Jewish young adults.
aspects of the community, were here, I think that’s what it’s going to take to make a difference,” Blum said. Weiner added that her take-way from the program was a sense of “togetherness.” “Togetherness is everything in the face of such loss,” she said. “To comfort families and survivors, and to bring friends together to celebrate legacies, that is a holy mission and tonight was the beginning of that.”
‘Public health issue’
Fitch began her presentation by describing suicide as a “major public health issue.” She offered data to illustrate the scope of the problem. According to the latest numbers collected by AFSP, someone dies by suicide in the U.S. every 40 seconds. In 2013, there were a recorded 41,149 suicide deaths. This year, the figure has risen to more than 55,000. Houston’s Jewish community is part of a larger national trend, in which suicide has become the 10th-leading cause of death in the U.S. It’s only been in recent years that serious research has been conducted to better understand the causes and risk factors associated with suicide, Fitch explained. According to studies, nine out of 10 people who die by suicide have a mental health condition that contributed to their death. One aspect commonly shared by people who attempt suicide is that they have become ambivalent about death, AFSP reports. Such ambivalence can be a sign of suicide ideation. “Think about it from a suicidal person’s perspective: To that individual, they’ve reached a crisis point,” Fitch said. “They are desperate to get rid of their pain. For some, that could be physical pain; for others, it may be emotional pain.” According to research, certain factors increase the risk of suicide. These range from health, to family history, to environmental factors, including access to lethal means and traumatic life events, such as relationship problems or job loss. “Most significant of all of these are mental health issues, because they can go undetected or undiagnosed,” Fitch said. “Access to lethal means is probably the most high-risk factor, such as having guns at home and individuals having access to them,” she added.
‘Trust your gut’
Making mental health a priority is key to suicide prevention, Fitch stated. Health insurance companies are
National Suicide Prevention Hotline 800-273-TALK
Eradication
“Talk Saves Lives” presenter Brenda Fitch joined Linda Burger to encourage Houston’s Jewish community to eliminate stigma, associated with mental illness, and to reach out to those who are at risk of attempting death by suicide.
required by law to offer mental health as part of one’s insurance coverage. Access to mental health care, combined with learned problem-solving skills and cultural or religious beliefs, can serve as a protective measure for individuals at risk of suicide, noted Fitch. Limited access to means plays an equally important role in preventing suicide deaths. “As individuals, we can watch for the warning signs and reach out to that person,” Fitch said. “You don’t have to be a psychiatrist or therapist to be able to help someone. Just be yourself.” Fitch said to show care and concern by talking and listening to that person and observe behaviors that appear different from the usual behaviors, as well as atypical mood swings and impulsivity. “Trust your gut,” Fitch said. “Talk does save lives. A simple conversation about a very serious topic could make the difference with your loved one being here today and gone tomorrow.” Fitch stressed the need to hold such
Social services professionals at the program admitted that a person can do all the right things, in terms of intervention, but ultimately still not be able to save someone from death by suicide. “But, we have a much better chance to help save a life if we begin the conversations,” said Linda Burger, CEO of JFS Houston, who is spearheading the community-wide initiative. Burger said the initiative’s goals are to eliminate stigma and eradicate suicide in the community. “We cannot rest until no one – not one person – in our community dies by suicide,” she said at the conclusion of the program. “Many tell me that it’s a very unrealistic expectation and that a better one would be … to eliminate 20 percent of the suicides each year. But, frankly, I can’t settle for that. “I can’t look anybody in the eyes in this room and say, well, your child was not part of the 20 percent this year,” Burger said. “We have to look in everybody’s eyes and say … Everybody was created in G-d’s image. “And, we are here to help you remember what part of G-d’s image is inside of you, so that you can find that will to stay with us, to bring that color back into your life and find a way on the journey where your life didn’t end with a period, but it just had a semicolon and this was part of your story, but not all of it,” she said.
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EDITORIAL
PAGE 8 JEWISH HERALD -VOICE OCTOBER 6, 2016
Editorial Steps toward eradicating suicide
A line through ‘Israel’ In Touch From Jerusalem
An unquiet hush rolled through the audience as the presenter from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention began to identify the various risk factors and warning signs that a person might attempt to take his or her own life. This list, presented at the “Talk Saves Lives” program at Emanu El synagogue on Sept. 27, included health factors, family history and environmental circumstances. The health factors included depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, psychosis, head and brain injuries and chronic health conditions. Historical factors ranged from family history of mental illness, previous suicide attempts and child abuse. Chief among the environmental factors was access to lethal means, such as firearms and drugs. Other environmental factors involved traumatic life events, such as breakups and job loss, exposure to contagions and prolonged stress. As the list grew, people in the audience became increasingly uneasy. The reason being that every single person in the room realized that they know someone close to them who has experienced one or more of these risk factors in their lives. Moreover, many in the room acknowledged that they, too, have exhibited some of these warning signs at some point, themselves. Mental health treatment has proven to prevent death by suicide, according to AFSP and federal data. Religion and community support also can play key roles in saving lives. According to Jewish tradition, every Jew possesses a pure soul – a spark of G-dliness contained within the body. Losing touch with that essence can lead to overwhelming pain, isolation and the inability to cope. Meanwhile, finding a way back to one’s G-dly spark can lift the spirit, renew sense of purpose and widen one’s field of view in the midst of challenges. As Greater Houston’s Jewish community enters the New Year 5777, we face an epidemic of suicide in our young adult population. Pulling together, our community can stop the spread of this epidemic, which already has claimed the lives of nine Jewish Houstonians, all under the age of 36, over the past year-and-a-half. Every individual has a role to play in this effort by overcoming the stigma associated with mental illness; by observing potential warning signs among family members, friends and colleagues; by assisting those who are struggling to gain access to health care and treatment; by engaging in open and frank discussions about suicide, mental illness and substance abuse; and by reminding every Jew in our community that s/he is connected to G-d, to Jewish tradition and to each other. The last, and arguably most difficult, but important step someone can take toward stemming the tide of suicide is to ensure that you, yourself, will ask for help when life becomes too much to bear.
Israel pays $20M to Mavi Marmara victims’ families JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israel paid $20 million in compensation to the families of the Mavi Marmara victims. The money was transferred into the Justice Ministry of Turkey’s account, the Daily Sabah, a Turkish news service, reported. The compensation was part of the reconciliation agreement signed over the summer between Israel and Turkey restoring diplomatic ties after a six-year freeze. Relations between Israel and Turkey broke down in the aftermath of the Mavi Marmara incident in May 2010, when Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish citizens
in clashes on a boat attempting to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Under the agreement, Turkey dropped legal claims against the Israeli military and individual officers and soldiers who were part of the Mavi Marmara raid. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously apologized for the deaths, which had been another Turkish condition for the resumption of diplomatic ties. The countries will decide in the next 10 days who will serve as ambassadors, an unnamed high-ranking Turkish official told Reuters.
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FELICE and MICHAEL FRIEDSON It’s uncanny how predictably bubbles burst in the real world. No one knew what form it would take, but that rare moment during which the Israeli people and, indeed, the rest of the world were being given a glimpse of what “could be … if only …,” when someone in the White House doused it all with proverbial cold water. In a moment that silenced those who argue the Jewish state is isolated within the world community; a moment at which scores of leaders of the international community were assembled in the state called Israel, from royal scions to the heads of their nations’ governments; a moment in which the assembled elite came to lay to rest one of their own, the people of Israel had to be reminded that the adulation of Shimon Peres was a personal thing. That the attendees who flew in for the funeral of Israel’s senior statesman did so to honor him and that little of the affection they showed for Peres inured to the state of Israel. How so? After U.S. President Barack Obama humbled the nation by flying to the funeral and delivered his eloquent eulogy, the red-faced White House staff hurried to correct a faux pas: the inadvertent suggestion that Peres was buried in Israel; that those buried in Mount Herzl Cemetery were at peace in their homeland. The issue began when the text of President Obama’s speech was distributed to media and others who normally receive such things on the morning of the funeral. Apparently, someone noticed that in the normal identification of venue on the document, it read: Jerusalem, Israel. The White House staff felt it necessary to re-issue the text, this time with a line through “Israel.” Reactions were mixed, but plentiful and passionate. Many Israelis insist that they understand – albeit while disagreeing – with the principle behind it. But, no one understands why the U.S. and others refuse to acknowledge Israeli sovereignty even over west Jerusalem, which is not considered to be the topic of negotiations. The story is being told and repeated throughout the land, with many telling us, “That moment of normalcy sure tasted good.” *** As we go to press, Israelis are marking one year since the spate of violence typified by young, knifewielding attackers began. In the course the year, 34 Israelis died and scores were wounded, while more than 200
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Palestinian lives were lost, most of whom were killed by police, security guards and armed citizens while in the act of assaulting an Israeli. During recent months, the pattern seemed to be subsiding as fewer attacks were carried out. But, all that changed during the past month or so when the threat re-emerged. Also during that time, what began as near certainty that the attacks were of the “lone wolf” variety – inspired, not ordered – has not changed in the minds of many security experts we’ve interviewed. The more recent belief is certainty that most of the attacks result from incitement that is rife in the Palestinian Authority, and some of the security wonks we’ve spoken to opine a direct link to terror cells. Unrest is not limited to the Israelvs.-the-Palestinians’ type. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is alerting the country’s diplomats stationed in the United States to expect significant negative fallout from American Jews angry at the series of events that saw negotiations produce a solution to women demanding a way to pray at the Western Wall by allocating space at the Southern Wall, followed by the government reneging on the deal because “religious” parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, threatened to leave the government if the new arrangement was put into place. A second issue arose with passage of a law that would keep Conservative and Reform conversion candidates out of ritual baths (mikvahs). The two issues combined have ignited some serious blowback among American Jews Israel would rather see supporting the Jewish state than campaigning against it. The newspaper Haaretz got hold of a confidential memo sent to U.S.-based diplomats warning of an organized campaign by Liberal Jews against Israel for its lack of pluralism that was to occupy the pulpits of congregations across the U.S. during the High Holy Days. The warning reportedly came from Akiva Tor, the director of the Department for Jewish Communities and one of the most capable and knowledgeable diplomats in the area of religious issues. *** Mideast Daily News: It’s in your inbox five days each week with a look at what’s happening in Israel, the Palestinian territories and the Middle East – “informative but not abusive” was how one loyal reader put it. Send your email address to editor@ themedialine.org, and let us know you read “In Touch from Jerusalem.” Wishing our readers a wonderful and healthy New Year. Next week, we again will be “In Touch from Jerusalem.” ©2016. The Media Line Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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‘Mental Health Awareness Walk’ offers comfort to grieving parents, friends
Holocaust survivor remembered as beacon of ‘light after darkness’
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
Friends and family of Jessica Danziger, a beloved Jewish educator who died this past summer at the age of 35, paid tribute to her memory on Oct. 8 by participating in the Sixth Annual Walk for Mental Health Awareness-Houston. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee presented finisher medals to members of “Team Jessica,” as they crossed the 5K walk’s finish line on the banks of White Oak Bayou. Team Jessica members spoke about the importance of providing ongoing support to Danziger’s parents. They also stressed the need to overcome the stigma that too often prevents people from seeking treatment for mental
Houstonians and Holocaust educators from across the state of Texas bid farewell to Naomi Kaplan Warren, prominent Holocaust survivor, business executive and philanthropist, who died on erev Rosh Hashanah, Oct. 2, 2016, at the age of 96. At a memorial service on Oct. 5 at Emanu El synagogue, Warren was remembered as a “role model” and a “guiding light,” whose legacy lives on in her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and in the thousands of educators impacted by Holocaust Museum Houston’s Warren Fellowship for Future Teachers. “Everybody held their breath when Naomi walked
See Awareness on Page 4
JHV: MICHAEL C. DUKE
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee presented finisher medals to Cathy Winter and other members of “Team Jessica” as they crossed the finish line at the Sixth Annual Walk for Mental Health Awareness-Houston on Oct. 8.
See Light on Page 19
Community casts away sins
‘Living the words of Isaiah’ builds bridges between synagogue and black church communities By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
In an effort to live the words of the Prophet Isaiah, members of Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism spent the past year prioritizing social justice and acts of tzedakah, which led them to build new relationships with economically disadvantaged residents of Houston’s historic Fifth Ward neighborhood. Greater food distribution, legal services and outreach to seniors are among several initiatives that HCRJ members have undertaken over the past year to assist their neighbors in need. The efforts also led to the creation of new committees and programming at HCRJ that have enjoyed record participation and have strengthened community within the congregation, itself, according to leaders. “A fire has been lit in our congregation to come together to engage in mitzvah, tzedakah and social justice,” said HCRJ’s Rabbi Steve Gross.
Call to action
JHV: MICHAEL C. DUKE
The rabbi issued a call to action at this time last year during his sermon on Yom Kippur. The sermon came in response to racial
Congregation Brith Shalom teens Eliana Roisman and Olesia Rosenberg-Johnson cast away their sins during a Tashlich service on Oct. 9, as other Brith Shalom families did the same from a footbridge spanning Brays Bayou near the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC.
See Bridges on Page 4
Yad Vashem honors righteous French family for saving Houstonian’s life during Holocaust By AARON HOWARD | JHV
A story in the JewishHerald-Voice has led to the commemoration of a French family by Yad Vashem. Yvette Dugast-Guilbaud received the Righteous Among the Nations medal on behalf of herself and posthumously for her sister, Madeleine Houssay-Guilbaud, and her parents, Theodule and Marie Guilbaud, in a ceremony on Sept. 25 in Le Cellier, France. The Guilbaud family took in and hid a 4-year-old Jewish child, Monique
Covrigaru, from 1941 until the end of World War II. That child, now Monique Ritter, is a member of the Houston Jewish community. Ritter traveled to France to honor the Guilbaud family and to participate in the ceremony. Yad Vashem was established to perpetuate the memory of the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. One of Yad Vashem’s principal duties is to convey the gratitude of the State of Israel and the Jewish people to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. It grants the
title of Righteous Among the Nations to the few who helped Jews in the darkest time in their history. The story of how Yad Vashem came to honor the Guilbaud family is largely due to the efforts of Paul Gasnier, vice president of the Cellier Historical Association, and to an article in the Jewish Herald-Voice. On June 30, 2011, the JHV published “Monique’s Story: A Hidden Child During the Nazi Occupation.” (jhvonline.com/ moniques-story-a-hidden-child-duringthe-nazi-occupation- p11325-96.htm). The article detailed Ritter’s years with the Guilbaud family. During the war, See Holocaust on Page 2
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PAGE 4 JEWISH HERALD -VOICE OCTOBER 13, 2016
Awareness
From Page 1
illnesses, such as depression, that can contribute to a person’s death by suicide. “It’s essential to do away with stigma,” said Shelley Nadel, one of more than a dozen members of Team Jessica who participated in this year’s walk. “There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘Maybe I need medication, or maybe I need therapy.’ “It’s really important that people don’t feel ashamed to say, ‘I really need help,’” Nadel told the JHV. Danziger’s parents, Judi and JB Danziger, also participated in the walk. Her father led Team Jessica from the starting line. “Jessica inspired so much love,” said JB, surrounded by his daughter’s friends, work colleagues, former students and classmates from her high school days. “It’s very moving.” He added, “It was important for me to participate in the walk because it’s for my daughter. “As a parent, you do lots of things for your children. I just wish Jessica were here to enjoy this,” he said. Noah Mattiuzzi, a high school senior who worked for Danziger this past summer at Beth Yeshurun summer camp, and was a former student of hers at Helfman Religious School, helped organize Team Jessica. “Jessica was my close friend, and I miss her a lot,” said Mattiuzzi. “I wanted to do something to honor her memory and to
Bridges
From Page 1
tensions in the U.S. and the refugee crisis in Europe that were making headlines. Rabbi Gross observed that too often, people remain silent when society is confronted by injustices in the world. As a way to inspire members of the congregation to take action – “to fight for the rights of those who are suffering from injustice, oppression and extreme inequity,” as Rabbi Gross put it at the time – he invited church leaders from Houston’s Fifth Ward to speak at HCRJ during the Yom Kippur afternoon service. In addition to preaching, Rev. Harvey Clemons Jr. from Pleasant Hill Baptist Church was accompanied by a local gospel choir, which performed ecumenical songs during the service. Rev. Clemons told HCRJ members that it’s difficult to battle the vast ills of society without establishing personal connections to the issues at hand. “Empathy and compassion demand a face,” he said. “The human heart is more easily moved when we can place ourselves in the predicaments of those who suffer.” Rabbi Gross related the pastor’s instruction to a passage from Isaiah (58:6-7), read on Yom Kippur, in relation to the mitzvah of fasting: “This is the fast I desire: To unlock the shackles of injustice; to untie the cords of the yoke of tyranny; to let the oppressed go free; to break every chain asunder. It is to share your bread with the hungry, and to take the wretched poor into your home; when you see the naked to clothe him.”
JHV: MICHAEL C. DUKE
Friends and family members of Jessica Danziger, of blessed memory, formed a team in her honor to participate in this year’s Walk for Mental Health Awareness.
give support to her parents. “As time goes on, people’s attentions get focused elsewhere, life for them moves on, but her parents won’t go a day without thinking of Jessica,” Mattiuzzi said. “We need to show her parents that two months later [after her death], people still care.” Rep. Jackson Lee greeted participants as they crossed the finish line. The congresswoman was an outspoken supporter of bipartisan legislation this past year to increase mental health care
for Americans. “For too long, people with mental illness have been silenced, and the community didn’t know how to respond,” Rep. Jackson Lee told the JHV. “Events like the Walk for Mental Health Awareness give people a voice. “Mental illness kills, and it’s intergenerational,” she continued. “It relates not only to young people or people in the prime of their lives, but senior citizens also are impacted by mental illness.
“Isaiah speaks to us, today – for how can we allow ourselves to feel the discomforts of fasting [on Yom Kippur] without developing a sense of empathy for people who are starving in the streets,” Rabbi Gross said during his sermon. “This day calls us to hearken to the needs of the poor and the hungry,” he said. “This day calls us to make a shift in the way that we see the world and our responsibilities to society, at large. This day implores us to open our eyes and our hearts to the institutionalized barriers that stand in the way of the social and economic mobility of the poorest members of our community, country and world. “In the city of Houston, today, there are those who go to sleep hungry every night,” he said. Rabbi Gross said Isaiah teaches that the Yom Kippur fast is but folly if it does not compel people to action.
to seek ways to build relationships between their two communities. A group came together to send HCRJ volunteers to the Fifth Ward twice a month to help support an existing effort to distribute food aid throughout the neighborhood. HCRJ’s popular “Knitzvah” group also traveled to Fifth Ward, where its members taught a series of knitting workshops for seniors and other neighborhood residents. Based on these efforts and others, a new Social Justice Committee emerged at HCRJ.
Gaining awareness
Inspired by the call, members of HCRJ joined Rev. Clemons on a tour of Fifth Ward to gain awareness of the challenges facing one of the poorest neighborhoods in Houston. The tour took place in December 2015 and pointed out the lack of grocery stores and banks in the area, as well as crumbling infrastructure and buildings and legal challenges experienced by its residents, particularly among young black men. The Fifth Ward pastor said the neighborhood did not want to be a charity. Instead, HCRJ members were encouraged
‘Social justice league’
“The Social Justice Committee has become one of the most active groups in our congregation,” Rabbi Gross told the JHV. HCRJ’s Justin Deutsch works with the committee that now performs monthly community service mitzvah projects. “It’s become a ‘Social Justice League,’” Deutsch said. “We’ve completed a wide variety of mitzvah projects each month since March. These have engaged different members of the congregation, as well as different age groups, bringing them all together. “We’ve had an 80-year-old working alongside a 5-year-old with the goal of helping people,” he said. The committee’s first projects benefitted Fifth Ward residents. HCRJ members prepared hundreds of Easter eggs for an annual festival in the neighborhood, followed by a Habitat for Humanity build in Fifth Ward. In June and July, the committee lent its support to the initiative, “Undies for Everyone.” In August, it joined Interfaith Ministry’s Meals on Wheels program. The following month, committee members assisted an English-learners program through Emerson Unitarian Church. This month, the committee is performing work at McGovern Centennial Park. It will close out 2016 by taking the lead on HCRJ’s annual Mitzvah Day and returning to help IM’s Meals on Wheels program. The committee plans to continue its work next year and thereafter, according to HCRJ leaders.
“We need to expose this disease, give people the opportunity to be healed and offer comfort and counseling for families,” Rep. Jackson Lee said. “Communities need to be aware of mental illness and how far reaching it is and how it touches all of our lives.” Robin Alter spearheaded efforts to organize Team Jessica. At the start of the walk, she distributed photo buttons containing Danziger’s portrait and the words, “With Love for Jessica.” Attached to the buttons were green ribbons for mental health awareness. Alter, too, spoke about the need to provide ongoing support to Danziger’s parents. She said participation in Houston’s Walk for Mental Health Awareness coincides with a new initiative launched by Greater Houston’s Jewish community to stem the tide of suicide among young adults. Over the past year-and-a-half, nine Jewish Houstonians, all under the age of 36, have died by suicide, prompting fears of an epidemic. “This morning’s walk is part of our efforts to make sure people are aware of this epidemic and its connections to mental health,” Alter said. According to federal data, nine out of 10 people who die by suicide have a mental health condition that contributed to their death. “Every person has a role to play in raising awareness,” Alter said. “Together, we can help save lives.” “People really enjoy the projects – they put a smile on their faces,” Deutsch said. “Our families long have said they want to be doing more of this stuff, they just didn’t know where to find the opportunities. “Our Social Justice Committee is working hard to provide those opportunities,” he said.
Legal aid
During the afternoon service on Yom Kippur last year, HCRJ member Joel Androphy asked Rev. Clemons a pointed question about crime and incarceration rates among young black men in Fifth Ward. Androphy, an attorney, said he was concerned about access and quality of legal counsel that these Houstonians receive. Recognizing the disparity between legal counsel that whites often receive, compared to blacks, Androphy offered to help. Besides pro bono legal services, Androphy has teamed up with other legal experts to educate Fifth Ward residents about the law. One such event, “The People’s Law School,” took place on Oct. 1, where Androphy taught criminal law and University of Houston Law School Prof. Richard Alderman taught consumer law. Landlord-tenant rights also were discussed. “[We’re] trying to give the residents some legal education, so that they can help their families in everyday issues we all take for granted,” Androphy said before the event. “We will also talk with them about finding a lawyer if the matter requires a lot of expertise. “More building blocks in our efforts to make the Fifth Ward like West U,” he added. Rabbi Gross said the new relationships that have been cultivated between HCRJ members and residents of Fifth Ward have opened his eyes to the inequalities that exist within Houston. “But, these relationships have been equally eye-opening by showing how the power of a community coming together can sustain itself and take pride in what they have,” he said.
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Young adults program to start discussion, Texas rep to file anti-BDS bill remove stigma over mental health By AARON HOWARD | JHV
A program on mental health and suicide prevention has been planned by young adults, for young adults. “Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It” will take place Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Merfish Teen Center, 9000 S. Rice Ave., from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. The program will feature a panel of young adults and mental health experts from Greater Houston’s Jewish community, who will share personal stories that touch on the themes of stigma, mental health and suicide; losing a child to suicide; how to talk about suicide and offer survivor support; grief; and the relationship between chronic illness and depression. Following a Q&A with panelists,
JFS
In the battle of ideas, one Texas legislator is taking on the BDS movement’s attempt to get state universities and other governmental entities to cut ties with Israel. State Rep. Phil King, R-District 61, will file a bill against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement on Nov. 14. The anti-BDS bill would require companies that contract with any government entity in Texas to verify they do not and will not boycott Israel. The bill also would prohibit state pension and endowment State Rep. Phil King funds, such as the Teacher Retirement System and The University of Texas Investment Management Company from making investments with companies that boycott Israel. Texas pension and endowment funds currently are worth an estimated $270 billion dollars. Fourteen states have passed anti-BDS legislation as of last week. Speaking to the Jewish Herald-Voice, Rep. King noted that most of those state legislatures passed anti-BDS bills by a near unanimous vote. “We expect bipartisan support of the anti-BDS bill in the Texas House in the
See Program on Page 18
Program organizers Evan David, Lisa Stanton and Jared Dubin seek to de-stigmatize mental health.
See Bill on Page 4
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
New Celebration Company home empowers adults with disabilities By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
ALL PHOTOS BY MICHAEL C. DUKE
Nick and Natalie of Natalie Blake Studios are the husband-and-wife team that created a touchable art installation at the entrance of Celebration Company’s new home at Jewish Family Service.
Celebration Company’s new home on the recently expanded campus of Jewish Family Service offers adults with disabilities greater opportunities to pursue life skills, vocational training and self-determination. The Joan and Stanford Alexander Family Building is a 5,000-square-foot space that has doubled the size of JFS’ facility and is twice as large as the old, off-site Celebration Company location. The building includes an all-new retail area, where Celebration Company clients sell their original artwork and products, and is home to a spacious kosher kitchen that will be used by the program and made available for hire, as well. Celebration Company moved into its new home at the end of October – just in time for its clients to fill their largest order, to date, for Celebration Company’s popular hand-rolled Chanukah candles. “Our new home is really good – it’s so much bigger and better for work,” said Harry Samelson, a Celebration Company client, who was cutting sheets of wax on Nov. 4 for the order of 1,200 Chanukah candle packages. Nearby, Artie Alexander was working in Celebration Company’s new retail store. For every shift the clients work, they have the opportunity to sell their own original artwork. Alexander showed off a food-themed series of color photographs he made. See Home on Page 5
Artie Alexander and other Celebration Company clients have the opportunity to sell their original artwork and other products through the program’s new retail store, located in the Joan and Stanford Alexander Family Building on the campus of Jewish Family Service.
Emily Higgins works alongside Harry Samelson to fill Celebration Company’s largest order of Chanukah candles, to date, in the program’s new, spacious activities room.
Service memories not easy for 101-year-old veteran The Houston native (born Aug. 6, 1915) enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 6, 1942, The Jewish Heraldand was given the assignment Voice proudly salutes all its of clerk-typist, possibly since war veterans this Veteran’s Nov. 11, 2016 he had been a mail sorter in Day, 2016. This year, it pays particular attention to World War II veteran, Houston’s U.S. Post Office. His basic training Morris Wilk, 101 years old, presently living at was at auto mechanic school, where he distinguished himself as a sharpshooter. Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services. By JEANNE F. SAMUELS | JHV
Wilk shipped out to the European Theater of Operations on Sept. 30, 1943, arriving in England on Oct. 9, with an assignment in London. He could not recall details of his service there, but he did, however, remember purchasing a clock for his sister in a pawn shop. See Veteran on Page 6
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PAGE 18 JEWISH HERALD -VOICE NOVEMBER 10, 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS CONTINUES THRU NOV. 13
JCC Jewish Book & Arts Fair runs for two weeks. for information, visit erjcchouston.org/bookfair.
CONTINUING PROGRAM
A new one-year course in the teaching of Jewish Mysticism is offered by TORCH, 9427 Glenfield Ct. To register or for information, go to torchweb. org. Scholarships are available.
THURSDAYS THROUGH DEC. 15
“On the Margins of Judaism,” taught by Wendy Lerman, Melton Adult Education class, 10:4511:45 a.m., at the Merfish Teen Center. For details, go to erjcchouston.org/jewish-learning/ melton.
THROUGH SATURDAY, DEC. 31
Holocaust Museum Houston’s first contemporary juried exhibit, “GENOCIDE: Man’s Inhumanity to Humankind.” Holocaust Museum Houston’s “Taking Flight: The Butterfly Project” – commemorating the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust.
THURSDAY, NOV. 10
Congregation Beth Israel, Gordon Chapel, “Left vs Right: The Battle for Israel’s Soul,” 7 p.m., post-election debate with J.J. Goldberg and Jonathan Tobin, moderated by Randy Czarlinsky. For more information and to RSVP, contact Jodi Cortez, 713-771-6221 or
[email protected]. A screening of the film, “Helene Berr: A Young Girl in Occupied Paris,” by director Jerome Prieur, in conjunction with HMH’s Helene Berr: A Stolen Life exhibit, 7-8:15 p.m. Visit hmh.org/ registerevent.aspx to RSVP. JCC Jewish Book & Arts Fair – Staged reading: Broken Glass – 7:30 p.m. Arthur Miller’s play set in November 1938 about an American Jewish woman stricken with sudden paralysis and the series of events that probes her marriage, the psyche of fear and anti-Semitism.
SATURDAY, NOV. 12
National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Houston Section gala, “Hear Us Roar!” at 7 p.m., Plants ‘N Petals Design Studio, 1 N. Sampson St. For more information, visit ncjwhouston.org or email
[email protected].
SUNDAY, NOV. 13
Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism’s Bark Mitzvah, 12:30-2 p.m. at HCRJ. Groomers, trainers, specialty treat shops, pet adoptions and more. Free and open to the community. Canine RSVP is requested to Justin at
[email protected]. JCC Jewish Book & Arts Fair – Closing Night – 7:30 p.m. Join award-winning mentalist Guy Bavli on his journey into the mysteries of the human mind, for an evening of telekinesis, humor, ESP and interactive audience participation. Rohr Jewish Learning Institute kicks off six-session program, “How Success Thinks: Jewish Secrets for Leading a Productive Life.” Classes available at eight Chabad locations, on different days of the week. Register at myJLI. com or contact the Chabad near you.
CONTINUING THROUGH NOV. 13 “Helene Berr, A Stolen Life” exhibit, at Holocaust Museum Houston Morgan Family Center, 5401 Caroline St. For more information, call 713-942-8000 or visit hmh.org.
Program
From Page 1
participants will have the opportunity to hold further discussions in small groups during a breakout session. While the program is aimed specifically at young adults, other community members are invited to participate, according to organizers. “The goal for the program is to get the conversation surrounding mental health started,” said Evan David, who is co-chairing the event with Jared Dubin. “After talking to parents who lost children to suicide almost 15 years ago, I realized that the stigma around this discussion has not changed with time. “It is time we start talking about it and learning more about what we can do for ourselves, family and friends,” David told the JHV. The program comes in response to an epidemic of young adult suicides in Greater Houston’s Jewish community. Over the past year-and-a-half, as many as nine Jewish Houstonians, all under the age of 36, have died by suicide. Houston is part of a larger national trend, in which suicide across the U.S. is at a 30-year high, according to federal data. This past summer, local leaders launched a communitywide initiative that seeks to stem the tide of suicide, to de-stigmatize issues of mental health and to provide support to family members and friends, who have lost loved ones to
Solidarity or separation Parshat Lech Lecha – Genesis 12:1-17:27
THURSDAY, NOV. 17 Anne Frank Hadassah November meeting, 10:30 a.m., at Reva Edison’s home. Katie Jackman, director of marketing and communications of the Alley Theatre, will discuss “Playing for Keeps,” exciting and innovative future of the Alley Theatre. Complimentary lunch provided. RSVP to Paulette, 713-827-7227, or
[email protected]. Houston Chapter of Hadassah’s annual Big Gifts dinner, 6:30 p.m., at Genesis Steakhouse. Guest speaker, Audrey Shimron, executive director of Hadassah Israel, will show Hadassah’s remarkable history and accomplishments. To RSVP or for more information, call the Houston Hadassah office, 713-661-1022. The Shul of Bellaire Jewish Women’s Circle of Bellaire presents “Red, White & Blue Jew,” personal stories of triumph over adversity in Iraq and Afghanistan, with Lt. Cmdr. Laurie Lans, 7 p.m., at private home. RSVP jewishbellaire. com/kickoff or call 713-484-9887.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, NOV. 18-19 Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, JHV Torah columnist, will be the scholar in residence at United Orthodox Synagogues, 9001 Greenwillow St., with Friday services beginning at 6:15 p.m., and continuing through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. For information, call UOS, 713-723-3850, or visit uosh.org.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30 Congregation Emanu El will transform into a holiday shuk (marketplace) and become a place to find gifts. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission is free. Vendors may sign up by visiting emanuelhouston. org or by calling Jill Patir, 713-529-5771, ext. 262, or emailing
[email protected].
SUNDAY, DEC. 4 B’nai B’rith, Edward M. Gardner, Temple Sinai Brotherhood and the Houston Chapter of the Texas Society of CPAs participate in the 36th citywide Schlep Sunday clothing, toy and food drive, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., at the JCC. Bring nonperishable food, clothing and toys that will be donated to the Star of Hope. For information, contact Gardner at 713-942-1040. For those who live in West Houston, Temple Sinai will collect items at its synagogue (13875 Brimhurst Dr.) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism hosts dozens of preferred vendors, who will be available to meet with Bar and Bat Mitzvah families, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For information on vendors or attending the event, contact Hilary Kamin,
[email protected]., or 713-782-4162. HCRJ is located at 801 Bering Dr., between San Felipe and Woodway streets. Kinneret Hadassah opens its 10th holiday bazaar, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Congregation Shaar Hashalom, 16020 El Camino Real in Clear Lake. All proceeds will be benefit Kinneret Hadassah projects. The entire community is invited to attend. ••• SAVE THE DATE: Yom Limmud, Feb. 19, 2017
suicide and substance abuse. Leaders from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston’s Jerome Robinson Family Young Adult Division reached out to Jewish Family Service to help plan the Nov. 20 program. YAD and JFS are partnering with Get Cultured of the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC to host the event.
RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB Weekly Torah PorTion What is a family to do when one member abandons its norms and traditions? This problem has confounded families since the beginning of time. How does a family handle its prodigal son, or sons? A verse in this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Lech Lecha, provides us with food for further thought about this critical question. In this week’s parsha, we learn of the very first schism in Jewish history, one which occurred in the family of the patriarch Abraham. From the time we first were introduced to him in last week’s Torah portion Abraham’s name has been linked with that of his nephew, Lot. They travel together to Canaan. A dispute ensues between Abraham’s shepherds and Lot’s shepherds, leading to a separation between the two. We then read: “And the L-rd said to Abram, after Lot had parted from him, ‘Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the North and South, the East and West, for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever’ ” (Genesis 13:14-15). Rashi noted that the A-mighty postponed speaking with Abram and did not notify him of a most magnificent promise until after Lot parted from him. From Rashi’s perspective, Abraham’s long association with Lot was displeasing to the A-mighty. Only after he had rid himself of Lot was the A-mighty willing to directly address Abraham again. Rashi clearly endorsed the separationist approach to the dilemma we have been discussing. But, not all rabbinic authorities agreed with Rashi. Note the dispute between two Talmudic sages recorded in Midrash Rabbah on our verse: “Rabbi Yehudah says, the L-rd was angry with our father Abraham when he permitted Lot, his dear nephew, to separate from him. The Holy One, Blessed Be He said,
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‘He tolerates everyone, and his own brother Lot he cannot tolerate?’ Rabbi Nehemiah disagreed, and said, the L-rd was angry with our father Abraham when he permitted Lot to join him in the first place. The Holy One, Blessed Be He said, ‘I promised you that I would give this land to your own children, and yet you go and join with your nephew Lot, as if you intend to bequeath the land to him!’ ” Rashi apparently sided with Rabbi Nehemiah in this dispute. For them, Abraham was acting meritoriously when he allowed Lot to depart from him. His association with Lot brought upon him nothing less than G-d’s own wrath. Rabbi Yehudah, on the other hand, forcefully represents the totally opposite view. Abraham should have done all that he could to prevent Lot’s departure. This dispute between these scholars of old is preserved for us by the Midrash for good reason. There is no simple answer to the dilemma of solidarity versus separatism. There are times and circumstances which require the strength of resolve advocated by Rashi, in the footsteps of Rabbi Nehemiah. But, there are other times, and different circumstances, which require the outreach approach that Abraham epitomized by his life example. Personally, I find it helpful to reflect upon the end of the story. Abraham and Lot do separate in the passage we have been studying. But, Abraham did not abandon Lot. As the narrative develops, we learn that Abraham came to Lot’s rescue and engaged in battle in order to redeem him from captivity. Much later on in the biblical narrative, we learn of Lot’s grandson Moab, whose descendant Ruth rejoined Abraham’s descendants. That ultimate reunion culminated in the birth of King David, Ruth’s greatgrandson and the forebear of the Messiah. It would seem, then, that whereas separation is sometimes unavoidable and even necessary, solidarity and unity hasten the arrival of the Messiah. To read more articles and essays by Rabbi Weinreb, go to ou.org/torah/parshaseries/rabbi-weinreb-on-parsha.
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they were dealing with? What could I have done to be a better friend? What am I supposed to say to their siblings, their parents and friends, to show my love and support after their loss?” Program organizers agreed that mental health should be treated the same way as bodily health. They’re calling on
gather together and address the stigma associated with mental health,” Stanton said. “This event will help us to begin this process and allow a forum for us to join together to start a discussion on how we can form a community where anyone affected by grief, anxiety, depression, addiction, etc., will know they are not
“Each loss has ultimately left an emptiness and confusion not only in my life, but with many of my friends. There were so many unanswered questions and concerns over these tragedies, some I still struggle with many years later. How could I not have known what they were dealing with? What could I have done to be a better friend? What am I supposed to say to their siblings, their parents and friends, to show my love and support after their loss?” - Jared Dubin Organizers spoke of alarm and dismay after attending a series of funerals for friends who died by suicide. “I’m 31 years old and have witnessed the loss of 10 friends and peers in my life, by self-harm,” said event co-chair Jared Dubin. “Each person, I’m sure, struggled in their own way, whether it be with anxiety, depression, addiction or something else. “Each loss has ultimately left an emptiness and confusion not only in my life, but with many of my friends. There were so many unanswered questions and concerns over these tragedies, some I still struggle with many years later,” Dubin said. “How could I not have known what
families, circles of friends and the Jewish community to talk openly about mental health and to offer systems of support for those impacted by mental illness and suicide. “It has been both personally and professionally devastating to experience the loss of so many of our community members from suicide this year,” said Lisa Stanton, director of the Federation’s Young Adult Division. “I don’t know one person in this community who hasn’t been affected by the nine losses this year, or who hasn’t been touched by mental health issues in some way, themselves. “We, as a community, need to
alone, that they are cared for and that they are a valued.” Dubin said, “Through my involvement in helping develop this program, I’ve realized that not everyone suffers the same way, but everyone suffers in some way.” David added, “I think that anyone who attends the event will come away with something positive. My ultimate hope is that this continues as a series of programs, based on the community and individual need.” Jewish Family Service is hosting registration for the event. To register, visit jfshouston.org/mentalhealthletstalk.
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Kotel access struggle moves to Houston
ADL working with tech firm to curb online hate
By AARON HOWARD | JHV
By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
When the Israeli government reached a compromise on Jan. 30, 2016, to allow non-Orthodox prayer at the Kotel, it appeared that the Conservative and Reform movements finally would gain access to pray at Judaism’s most holy site. The deal was supposed to establish a government-funded 9,700-square-foot prayer space, that could accommodate some 1,200 people, that would be open to all forms of Jewish prayer. The Western Wall plaza currently is under the direction of the Orthodox rabbinate and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. They do not formally recognize non-Orthodox religious denominations in Israel and had opposed all
enable computers to detect hate and harassment online. This technology, known as Conversation AI, was spotlighted by the Anti-Defamation League at its inaugural summit on anti-Semitism – Never Is Now! – as one of many new and innovative ways to combat antiSemitism and the targeting of other minority groups. With the rise of online hate and harassment, particularly during the recent U.S. presidential cycle, Google decided to expand its definition of censorship to include
See Kotel on Page 4
ALSO SEE: Pro-Israel students NEW YORK – Google is shut out of progressive developing technology that will circles, Page 3
JTA
See ADL on Page 2
Anat Hoffman is chair of Women of the Wall.
It’s a ‘rap’ for teens learning Bible texts
Program prompts discussion of mental health, suicide prevention By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV
and ethics that they can actualize in their daily lives. This partnership between Kehillah High and the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center fosters meaningful relationships between the teens and senior adults. The group meets monthly to discuss topics related to music and memory.
A suicide-prevention program led by young adults fostered a safe environment for open discussion about mental health, addiction and death by suicide. “Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It” took place Nov. 20 and featured a panel discussion by Jewish community members who shared personal experiences of losing family and friends to suicide, as well as stories of their own struggles with depression and other mental health conditions. More than 100 people from across the spectrum of Houston’s Jewish community attended the program, which included smaller breakout sessions following the panel discussion. Led by local clergy and mental health professionals, the breakout groups allowed program participants to share their own stories and learn about different coping strategies and available resources for suicide prevention and mental health care. For those in need of specific advice and answers, participants were invited to text in their questions, anonymously. “Creating an opportunity for those that feel so lost to have a chance to be heard and supported is one of the biggest mitzvahs we can do,” said Eugene Tunitsky, one of many young adult leaders who helped make the program possible. “I felt like this event did exactly that and is the beginning of creating something
See Raps on Page 12
See Mental Health on Page 15
CAROL LAHANA
Max Felix, Daisy Serebrin, Joel Schoenberg and Matt Bar, with Shawn Hennessey on drums, perform Jewish raps at Congregation Beth Yeshurun.
By RIKKI HOROWITZ | For the JHV
Kehillah High, Congregation Emanu El and Kesher students were in for a treat, and a beat, Wednesday evening, Nov. 16, when Bible Raps offered workshops for eighth- and ninth-graders, followed by a performance for all the students at Congregation Beth Yeshurun.
Earlier that evening, participants in the Better Together program attended a Bible Raps workshop with senior adults. The focus of Better Together, an intergenerational program, is to sensitize teens to the challenges of the elderly and incorporate Jewish learning and values in their interactions with them. The program includes the opportunity to teach teens Jewish traditions
Grand opening for new TORCH Centre opens doors to entire Jewish community By ALICE ADAMS | JHV
When TORCH opened its doors in 1998, its initial mission was to offer an inclusive resource for learning and connection to Houston’s Jewish community through its unique, nonjudgmental approach to Jewish education. Almost two decades later, it has served thousands of Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, unaffiliated or somewhere-in-between Jews, becoming a vibrant source for Jewish learning opportunities in Houston through study opportunities – all bringing a new dimension to everyday Jewish life. “As we grew, so did our vision, and now we are
inviting the community to share our joy on reaching yet another historical milestone, the grand opening [Dec. 3] of TORCH Centre, a revolutionary new facility which is unique to Houston,” said TORCH executive director Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe. “This Centre is unique to Houston and doesn’t exist anywhere else, and there’s nothing like it in the country,” he continued. “And, we will be celebrating our grand opening at 9427 Glenfield Ct., just west of Hillcroft Street and just off South Braeswood Boulevard. “The Centre is a great place for Jewish people to See TORCH on Page 12
JHV: VICKI SAMUELS LEVY
Austin Chandler, Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan, Zvi Alpert and Camden Wagner often stop by TORCH during the week to study. Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe (back) studies online with a long-distance partner.
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much bigger – change in the perspective of mental difficulties. “To me, it really felt like we stamped out stigma,” he said. Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan was among several young adult clergy members whose presence greatly was appreciated by others during the program. “I was very touched by the pain that so many people in our community are experiencing,” Rabbi Ouzzan told the JHV. “I was inspired at the courage the panelists had to speak up and express themselves openly, so that we could better understand the challenges involved. “More than anything, I was inspired and encouraged by what the future holds for us – that we were/are able to come together, all ages and all denominations, and commit to tackling this issue head on and together as one Jewish community,” he said. “May Hashem grant us the Divine assistance to successfully address this issue, and bring joy and peace to all, amen!” “Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It” was a product of a collaboration between the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston’s Jerome Robinson Family Young Adult Division, Jewish Family Service of Houston and the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC’s Get Cultured. According to organizers, the program sought to start conversations in the Jewish community about mental health, to help overcome the stigma associated with mental health issues and to offer
community support to those facing mental health challenges. The program is part of a new, communitywide initiative, aimed at stemming the tide of suicide in Greater Houston’s Jewish community that acutely has impacted the young adult population. Over the past 18 months, nine Jewish Houstonians, all under the age of 36, died by suicide, prompting concerns of an epidemic. “This is a tough, but a very important conversation and, as we look out across the room, I’m very happy to see so many of us, here, to help our community begin to talk openly, to better understand one another and ultimately change the stigma surrounding mental health, depression and grief,” said Jared Dubin, event co-chair, in his welcome to participants. Evan David, who also co-chaired the event, added, “Most of us in this room have been touched in some way by one of the recent deaths, and we believe this was an important conversation to have in a safe, open forum to discuss the many emotions we have been feeling.” Rabbi Joshua Herman told participants that Judaism places great value on the need to seek medical help to heal both the body and the mind. “When there are imperfections in the world, like disease, like illness, it’s our job to try to act like agents of G-d in the healing process,” Rabbi Herman said. He added that program participants are fulfilling two mitzvot: the obligation to save a life, and to provide comfort and
consolation to mourners. Panelist Sarah Reinetz, a licensed clinical social worker, who manages the Psychiatric Response Team of Memorial Hermann Health System, spoke of the importance of overcoming stigma in order to prevent future suicide deaths, which have become the second leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 34. “This is a topic that’s worth being vulnerable for,” Reinetz said, “because a topic like this has the ability to save lives.” Jennifer Cohen lost a brother to suicide earlier this year and, she, herself, made a suicide attempt 12 years ago. She shared advice through a letter read by JFS CEO Linda Burger. “It’s important not to judge,” Cohen wrote. “To continue to treat [someone with a mental illness] as you normally would anyone else, and to be there as someone they can really trust. “Trust is key,” she emphasized. “Keeping the lines of communication open and safe for them is crucial. My support system allows me to be me, flaws and all, and never lets my diagnoses of PTSD or depression define me.” Barbara and Al Marcus lost a son to suicide in 2002. They shared advice on how to comfort grieving families. “Be direct and be a friend and don’t be afraid,” Barbara said. “Don’t act like it didn’t happen. It happened.” Al said the worst thing to say to someone who lost a loved one to suicide is: “How are you?”
“You know the answer to that question – you know how they are feeling,” he said. “Instead, say something like: ‘It’s so good to see you.’ ‘Can I give you a hug?’ ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ ” Al noted that happiness is a conscious decision. “You have to decide to be happy and you have to work on it,” he said. “A hole in your heart and having a wonderful life can coexist together.” During a Q&A with the panel, the Marcuses, in their experience, agreed that it’s impossible to prevent someone from dying by suicide if s/he is determined to do so. Some participants in the room agreed with that experience, while others strongly objected, noting that data shows suicide can be preventable. Stephanie Wittels Wachs said losing her brother to overdosing in 2015 led her to want to die, as well. The grief she felt wiped out who she was as a person, she noted, but it also made room for the person she now has become. “Grief is truly a form of mental illness in of itself,” Wachs said. She credited her own recovery, in large part, to her decision to ultimately seek mental health care. “I couldn’t go back to who I was, so I had to reinvent myself,” Wachs said. “Had I ended it all, I would have never met this new person.” The JHV’s Michael Duke also was a panelist, who spoke on his personal experiences of living with depression.
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EDITORIAL
PAGE 7 JEWISH HERALD -VOICE NOVEMBER 24, 2016
Opinion Editorial Mental health and suicide Young leaders charge ahead prevention: empowerment to save lives from suicide through education
Local twentysomethings and thirtysomethings put the lie to the claim that the current younger generation of adults aren’t engaged in Jewish communal life and affairs. Nowhere better can this be seen than in the efforts of many young Jewish professionals to de-stigmatize public discussion about mental health and to prevent the spread of a suicide epidemic that has emerged over the past year-anda-half among young adults in Greater Houston’s Jewish community. This group took the lead on organizing and running a suicide-prevention program on Nov. 20 that engaged members of the community across the religious spectrum – an impressive feat unto itself. The focus of this program was to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which members of our community could begin to have open and honest conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. Having the ability to frankly talk and listen about these difficult issues is the linchpin to success in our community’s efforts to save lives. With eyes and ears finally open to this concern, our community can benefit from education and training aimed at stemming the tide of suicide. Thankfully, our community has a committed group of young adult leaders, who are willing to be the tip of the spear in this battle, aided by the foundational community institutions, such as the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, Jewish Family Service and the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC, along with the dedication of their leaders, to support and carry the charge forward toward this goal. If ever there were a reason to belong to a Jewish community – this Jewish community – it is our determination, as a community, to support its members in the healing of body, soul and mind.
By RACHEL MOHL DUKE
The room was filled with emotion at the “Mental Health – Let’s Talk About It” program on Nov. 20. Panelists shared their personal experiences and opinions on depression, suicide and grief. The discussion, however, lacked an informative aspect. The panel lacked an experienced clinical professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, to share his or her expertise, rather than opinion. While intended to help de-stigmatize mental health issues, an essential part of doing so is providing some kind of education. “Things can be prevented. You need to understand the warning signs and education is a key factor in that,” said Dr. Sylvia Muzquiz-Drummond, medical director of Mental Health and Forensic Services, Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD Services. The Jewish community has been shaken by a series of suicides, part of a larger epidemic affecting young adults across the U.S. It’s time that we begin to understand this very complicated issue. Through education we can empower the community.
Mental Health
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According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, a mental health issue is a problem that affects a person’s mood, thinking and behavior. Research suggests that multiple factors cause these issues, such as genetics, trauma and biochemical processes. A stressful environment is another common cause. Mental health issues come in all shapes and sizes. No two individuals are the same; therefore, people experience anxiety, depression and stress differently. So, how do I know if I, or one of my friends, is living with a problem? While there is no easy test, one of the best ways, according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, is to look for changes in behavior. These include: excessive worrying or fear, feeling excessively sad or low, confused thinking, extreme mood changes, extreme irritability or anger, and avoiding friends and social activities, among others. For a full list, visit nami.org/learn-more/ know-the-warning-signs. While some issues are acute, others require long-term care and treatment. Many live with disorders for their entire lives and manage illness like any other long-term medical problem. Some 79 million people in the United States need some form of treatment, according to Dr. Joseph Franklin of Vanderbilt University. Part of the reason that many of them do not seek help, noted Dr. Muzquiz-Drummond, “is that they don’t understand and don’t believe that this is an illness. They aren’t educated and are scared.” Recovery is possible. The most common treatment, though not the only one, is a
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Houston Crisis Hotline 713-970-7000 Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD 713-970-7000 mhmraharris.org The Menninger Clinic 800-351-9058 mennigerclinic.com UT Physicians Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic 713- 486-2700
Additional resources The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line 741741 crisistextline.org American Foundation for Suicide Prevention afsp.org National Alliance on Mental Illness nami.org
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Suicide
Knowing the warning signs and understanding how to speak up are vital to preventing suicide. Behaviors include a person feeling hopeless, trapped, purposeless, anxious and withdrawn, among others. Often, the person will insinuate not being here for very long or the desire to hurt themselves. As a listener, do not be afraid to ask about suicide. “Are you OK?” is one of the key questions to ask if you notice someone exhibiting a change in mood or behavior, according to Dr. Matthew Wintersteen, associate professor and director of Research at Thomas Jefferson University. “Be prepared to listen without judgment once you ask that question. Do not respond to the person by saying everything is going to be OK,” said Dr. Jennifer Battle, LMSW, Help Line director, Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD Services. Instead, let them know that they are not alone. Help them get the appropriate help. In order to do this, a person must be aware of his or her friends, family and colleagues in such a way that a change in behavior is noticeable. In some ways, that is a huge responsibility, but one which a community, like ours, can and should assume.
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combination of therapy and medication. Dr. Muzquiz-Drummond recommends finding a way to find a peaceful state of mind, one in which you can rewire your brain to work through difficult situations.
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EDITORIAL
PAGE 6 JEWISH HERALD -VOICE DECEMBER 15, 2016
Editorial
Addiction and suicide among older adults demand redress A few months ago, Houston’s Jewish community broke its silence over a suicide epidemic that, over the past two years, has claimed the lives of at least nine Jewish Houstonians all under the age of 36. In response to this epidemic, leaders from Jewish Family Service, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC and a multitude of other community organizations, congregations and schools came together to launch a communitywide initiative. Its goals: to stem the tide of suicide among young adults; to overcome the stigma associated with mental illness; and, to provide support to those who have lost a loved one to suicide, or who are struggling to cope with mental illness. Under this initiative, community members stepped forward to undergo Mental Health First Aid training. Two large events were held – one for the general community, and one specifically geared toward young adults – aimed at stoking open and honest discussion about suicide and mental illness. Meanwhile, focus groups have been formed to develop effective suicide-prevention programming for middle and high school students. These efforts, and those to come, surely will help save lives. Similar attention must be paid to two related crises. These are: substance abuse and addiction within our local Jewish community; and, the prevalence of suicide among older adults and seniors. Individual efforts to address these challenges aren’t enough. Rather, it will take commitment – communitywide – to succeed. Our community’s experience with combating young adult suicide taught an important lesson: Breaking the silence is the first step toward finding a solution. Substance abuse and addiction are real. They affect fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors, students and colleagues – all within Houston’s Jewish community. In response, our community must initiate open and honest discussion about substance abuse and addiction. We must address the issue of stigma associated with these mental health problems – because they are, indeed, a mental health problem. The same goes for suicide among older adults and seniors – a problem that for years has gone unreported and underreported. Depression, isolation and loneliness are key contributing factors to what experts have described as a “hidden epidemic among the elderly.” The Jewish Herald-Voice is a venue for conversations and information about these challenges facing our community. Suicide can be prevented, according to mental health professionals, in the same way that substance abuse and addiction can successfully be treated. Talking about these issues, first and foremost, can and will help save lives.
Correction In “The Evans Team at Martha Turner Sotheby’s share a passion,” JHV Dec. 8, 2016, the residences of Vikki and Rich’s daughters were incorrect. Emily lives in Austin and Rachel resides in L.A.
Letter to Editor
Alerting the community I hope all is well your way. I saw your announcement a couple of months ago that the JHV would no longer be making endorsements for elections. I don’t know if that is presidential elections only, or all elections. I can only imagine the comments and input you received from “both sides of the aisle” before the recent presidential election. However, I do hope the JHV continues to publish articles alerting Houston Jews to the frightening (at least to me!) events happening in Houston, in Texas (Texas A&M here), and across the world, prompted by the white supremacy groups (I think the term “alt-right” is much too sanitized a term to give them). All the best for a Happy Chanukah, and a happy, healthy 2017. Alan Hurwitz
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ISRAEL GOVERNMENT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses members at the Jewish Media Summit.
Netanyahu
that he had something important that he wanted to tell the Jewish world. He interrupted the very first question put to him by moderator Jane Eisner (editor of The Forward), asking “Is this a speech or a question?” (It was, in fact, a question, concerning anti-Semitism and the soonto-be Trump administration. Netanyahu answered by saying that “Anti-Semitism is a fringe phenomenon in the United States of America,” though it should be opposed wherever it does appear.) And, before Eisner could formulate her next question, Netanyahu again interrupted the proceedings and said (playfully, as we were soon to realize), “What about Israel’s growing isolation in the world? You’ve got to ask me about that. If you don’t, I’m going to ask it.” Before Eisner took the bait and asked about Israel’s isolation, there were a few questions about other issues. Asked about the failure to implement his own government’s decision to provide for egalitarian prayer at the Kotel, Netanyahu said that Israel’s political system “works in fits and starts.” And so, while on the one hand, he declared firmly, “When I say that the Kotel is the Wall for all the Jews. I mean it.” On the other hand, he said, “It’s going to take time. It’s not so easy to do. I think we’ll resolve it, I hope.” Concerning Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians, Netanyahu said, “It was never and it’s still not about a Palestinian state. It’s always been about the Jewish state, and the fact that there is a challenge to the Balfour Declaration 100 years later tells you that we haven’t come very far.” And then, Netanyahu finally got the question that he wanted. In answering, he proudly told us that, rather than any “growing isolation,” the situation, today, is that “The great powers of Asia, the countries of Africa, the countries of Latin America are all coming to Israel, and it’s happening at an unbelievable pace.” Netanyahu said that his work schedule is so jam-packed with prime ministers, presidents and foreign ministers that “I wish we had a little isolation, because I could use the time.” To explain Israel’s growing popularity,
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Netanyahu used the following acronym: TTP: Terror: Netanyahu said that militant Islam is a concern throughout the world, and that “countries want to defend themselves, and Israel has a vast capability, especially an intelligence capability.” Technology: In any area of technology, Netanayahu said, “Israel is at the nexus of the great change that is taking place.” Netanyahu pointed, especially to the fields of cyber security (in 2016, Israel received more than 20 percent of global private investment in this area) and driverless vehicles (Israel has 400 startups in this field alone). He said that world leaders want to meet with him “not only to protect themselves against terrorism, but to seize the future. And, the future is technology, and Israel is a global force in technology.” Peace: Netanyahu said that he tells all the foreign leaders with whom he meets, that Israel is willing “to negotiate peace immediately without any preconditions.” The fact that this hasn’t happened, he said, is because the Palestinians are not ready to negotiate. And yet, Netanyahu said that the Middle East is growing a lot friendlier to Israel because “many countries in the region understand that Israel is not their enemy, but their ally in fighting militant Islam … in this indispensable battle for the future.” The bottom line, said Netanyahu, is that “Israel’s situation in the world is changing at a dazzling pace. Ultimately,” he said, “this will be reflected in the way countries vote in the U.N. You mark my words. It will happen. … It’s coming in a big way.” He jokingly added, “I hate to be the bearer of good news about Israel. But, this is great news.” Netanyahu ended the meeting: “If you are a country in Africa, or in Asia, or in Latin America, and you want to increase your dairy production, or your water usage, or your solar energy, or your public health, or your IT sector, or your cyber security, Israel is the place.” He left us with the following: “People understand that Israel is a great force for good. … We can improve the lives of many in the region and in the world. I think this is a tremendous source for hope and a tremendous source for the hope for peace.” Copyright 2016, Teddy Weinberger
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